


Another Door Opens

by UnashamedlyUnashamed



Series: Revolving Doors [2]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man - All Media Types, The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom
Genre: (former) - Freeform, 69 (Sex Position), Age Difference, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Angst, Asexual Pepper Potts, Barebacking, Blood and Injury, Blood vomit and violence only occur in chapter 20, Blow Jobs, Coming Untouched, Consensual Infidelity, Developing Relationship, Dry Orgasm, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Explicit Sexual Content, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, Gay Bucky Barnes, Gay Peter Parker, Hand Jobs, Homophobic Language, Hurt/Comfort, In a manner of speaking, Intercrural Sex, Kidnapped James "Bucky" Barnes, Kidnapping, Kinda, Light Angst, M/M, Married Peter Parker/Tony Stark, Masturbation, Mild blood vomit and violence, Minor Character Death, Morgan Stark is Peter and Tony's child, Multiple Orgasms, Open Relationships, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pansexual Tony Stark, Parent Peter Parker, Parent Tony Stark, Prostate Orgasm, Rimming, Secret Children, Secret Relationship, Semi-Public Sex, Sex Worker Peter Parker, Sexual Content, Shower Sex, Slow Burn, Sounding, Stalking, Threesome - M/M/M, Urethral Play, Violence, Vomiting, Voyeurism, Wall Sex, Wet Dream, homophobic language only in chapter 20
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-11
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:21:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 78,482
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26412577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UnashamedlyUnashamed/pseuds/UnashamedlyUnashamed
Summary: When Sergeant Bucky Barnes hooked up with Peter Parker, he knew instantly that he wanted more, there was something about the man that he couldn’t get enough of.  But he never imagined that Peter was married to none other than Tony Stark, one of the richest men in the world.  And when the billionaire asked to meet him and made a life altering proposition, it left Bucky’s head reeling.  Could he really agree to what Tony just offered him?  He wasn’t sure.  What he was sure of was that there’s something about Tony, too, something that pulled him in.  Could he really be developing feelings for both of them?  Bucky didn’t know.  But he did know that both men were keeping something from him, something big.  Bucky just hoped it wasn’t big enough to keep them apart.ORBucky slept with Peter, then Bucky found out Peter was married, then Peter’s husband, Tony, wanted to meet Bucky, then Tony asked Bucky to date his husband, then Bucky started dating Peter for real, then Bucky got a crush on Tony, then there was all kinds of sexual tension, then there was a big secret, then there was a stalker, and…  How does it all end?!Updates on Fridays*****Part 1 of Revolving Doors series not required reading.*****
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers, James "Bucky" Barnes/Peter Parker, James "Bucky" Barnes/Peter Parker/Tony Stark, James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark, James "Rhodey" Rhodes & Tony Stark, Pepper Potts & Tony Stark, Peter Parker/Tony Stark
Series: Revolving Doors [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1919734
Comments: 230
Kudos: 211





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Do you ever think about how truly messed up comic book characters would be if they existed in the real world? If they'd gone through all that shit and not had super powers to save them? Well, I do. And that's what led to this story. Tony and Peter will be a little grittier and darker because they've gone through a whole hell of a lot to get to where they are. And, as for Bucky, well, he's just a little bit softer because that's what happens when you aren't kidnapped, tortured, and brainwashed by Nazi madmen. But he's still got that metal arm cuz it's sexy as hell.
> 
> No one will be OOC, they'll just have slightly different edges. Character back stories will unfold as the story moves forward, but if you have any questions, leave a comment for more info.
> 
> I have a pretty thorough outline of this story and where it's going, but I'm not certain how long it will be yet. Fair warning: it will be at least 20k words, probably more.
> 
> Anything else you want to know about this world, just ask. I love interacting in the comments. Just keep it kind and constructive, this is only my second work ever, and I ain't got time for assholes. :) 
> 
> PS You won't need to read part 1 of the series for this to make sense, but it is some fun smut, so feel free to take a gander.

Walking through the door impatiently, Sergeant Bucky Barnes looks around the small, windowless, nondescript, grey room that's supposed to pass as a two person office at the headquarters of his new international inter-agency anti-terrorism taskforce, SHIELD. Every branch of the US military, all the federal agencies, Interpol, Scotland Yard, MI6, CIA -- pretty much the whole alphabet soup of military and law enforcement agencies across the globe -- had come together to form the Safety in Harmony International Enforcement of Law and Defense, and Bucky and his best friend, Captain Steve Rogers, had been assigned as the Army liaisons; Bucky for his expertise on Eastern Europe, and Steve for his diplomatic acumen.

The sergeant looks at his watch again in frustration before plopping down on the uncomfortable grey couch with a heavy sigh. There's supposed to be a briefing in half an hour with taskforce Director Fury and Steve is running late. They need to go over some things beforehand because Fury is not someone to trifle with and Bucky has felt off his game for days now. Ever since the booty call of a lifetime three days ago. 

Laying back and slinging his feet over the armrest, Bucky can’t seem to keep his thoughts on work or the upcoming briefing. His mind, of its own accord, keeps wandering back. ... _Fuck, Bucky groans, you feel so fucking good..._

He unconsciously shifts a little, metal arm coming down to adjust himself as his entire body starts reacting to his idle recollection. _...You like that, doll? Me punishing your filthy hole?..._

“Shit,” Bucky mutters, sitting up. This isn't his first rodeo, he better get it together before Little Bucky gets anymore wrapped up in those memories and makes a lot bigger problem than being unprepared for a briefing.

It's true, the man is no stranger to a one night stand, and usually has _no_ _problem_ with a little ‘love ‘em and leave ‘em.’ But this guy was different, ever since they’d first met Bucky couldn’t get Peter Parker off of his head. Who’d have thought getting stuck doing the wash at a random laundromat in Queens could lead to meeting the twink of your dreams...?

  
  
  


Barnes was not amused. Not amused at the snow that just started falling outside. Not amused to still be sleeping on an old Army buddies couch because he hadn’t been able to find a place he could afford. Not amused that said buddy lived in Queens. _Queens_. And certainly not amused that there was no laundry in his building. 

So he stood there, wearing his best scowl, glaring out the front window when someone opened the door and a strong gust of arctic January wind blew it out of their hold and directly into Bucky’s side. His initial reaction was to be even more pissed but, before he could react, the guy was already apologizing. 

“Oh god, I’m so sorry,” the soldier heard from somewhere in the vicinity of his ankles. The offending door-opener’s basket had been tipped out of his hand by the wind and he was stooped to collect the stray contents.

“It’s all good,” Bucky begrudgingly replied. Like it or not, he'd been raised with good Midwestern manners, so he bent down to give the guy a hand. “Here, let me help you with that.”

“Thanks,” Door Guy responded. He finally looked up and Bucky found himself completely taken aback by just how beautiful the young man was -- high cheekbones, big, warm, expressive brown eyes, full lips. Damn. This guy was a walking wet dream. The soldier may have shared a little longer than was strictly necessary, but upon looking directly at the Sergeant, the guy seemed a little shocked and stared right back. 

They awkwardly looked at each other for a long moment before the young man blurted out, “Oh my god, it’s you. You’re the Time magazine guy!”

Oh shit, Barnes thought, feeling his cheeks heat. This had happened to him several times now and it never got less uncomfortable.

From the tender age of eight, Bucky had been fully aware that he was one-hundred percent gay -- his sexual orientation realized thanks to his rabid obsession with [Joey Lawrence](https://www.alamy.com/film-still-from-blossom-joey-lawrence-1995-file-reference-31043609tha-for-editorial-use-only-all-rights-reserved-image218967880.html). The hair, the artfully ripped jeans, the flannel shirt tied around that trim waist, the leather jacket… Bucky couldn’t get enough. Whenever his show, Blossom, came on TV was the only time Bucky and his sister didn’t fight over the remote. Neither one realizing the weekly truce was so they could both sit and stare at the same onscreen hunk and swoon. But despite that early realization, Bucky had spent his entire life -- and most certainly career -- firmly in the closet, with only a select few in the entire world knowing the truth of his sexuality. So, when Don’t-Ask-Don’t-Tell was repealed last September, he saw it as his chance to finally live out loud. Being Special Forces made Bucky just high profile enough that when Time decided to do a piece on the repeal he was contacted, really hit it off with the interviewer, and next thing he knew, he was at a photoshoot in full uniform with a rainbow flag draped over his shoulders and ended up coming out on the cover of one of the biggest magazines in the world.

He’d taken more than a little heat from the higher-up’s about the article, and plenty of flack from the guys about it, too. He’d also been recognized a few times by people on the street. Some bigoted idiots telling him he was going to burn in hell, some fellow homosexuals with words of support (or interest ) and, surprisingly, some fellow service members in a show solidarity. But each encounter was always awkward for Bucky, who was not the most sociable of guys.

“It is you, right?” Door Guy prompted.

“Yeah, that's me,” Bucky huffed, running his flesh hand through his cropped hair in embarrassment.

“Well, it’s an honor to meet you, soldier. I'm Peter Parker,” Door Guy said. He gave a coquettish, charming smile as they stood up and he stuck his hand out. 

Bucky extended a hand in response and replied, “Nice to meet you, I’m James Barnes but my friends call me Bucky.”

Peter moved to shake Bucky's proffered hand only to pause. Looking down, the soldier realized that it still held a piece of Door Guy’s -- Peter, his name was _Peter_ \-- Peter's laundry; a lacy, red, bra-slash-panties, all-in-one combo thing. 

“Um…” Bucky's face turned roughly the same shade as the lingerie as he hurriedly handed the confusing garment back. He didn't really know what else to say. He had been, like, ninety-nine percent sure this dude was gay and hitting on him, but apparently he was wrong. He was surprised by how disappointed that made him.

The younger man just laughed, “Oh Jesus, May. My aunt lives around the corner and she sick right now so I came to check on her and got _volunteered_ to do her laundry while I'm here.” Peter was completely unembarrassed, gesturing with undergarment as he spoke. "As you can see, she has interesting taste."

“Your aunt seems like a fiery lady,” Bucky chuckled. He was unreasonably relieved that the article in question wasn’t the property of some basic, barely-out-of-high-school girlfriend who’s entire wardrobe came out of an H&M display window.

“Yeah, for a nurse who works sixty hours a week, she still plays the field as much as she can.”

Just then, someone else attempted to enter the laundromat and found their path blocked by the two men conversing in the entryway, so they both moved towards the row of washing machines; Bucky to check his load, Peter to put the empty machine next door to use.

“So, what brings you -- the Army’s sexiest out-and-proud son -- to a launderette in Queens on this fine, snowy day?” Peter queried, batting his eyelashes shamelessly.

Oh, yeah, I definitely got a shot with this guy, Bucky thought with a cocky smirk. “Guess I’m here for the pleasure of making your acquaintance,” he flirted. “That and having clean socks for tomorrow.”

“I assumed someone like you would have a flock of trade at your beck and call offering to do _all_ _kinds_ of things for you. Laundry included..."

Bucky grinned, “No such luck I’m afraid. I run a solo op these days.”

“Well, I’m truly shocked,” Peter said in mock horror. His eyes seemed to assess Bucky as be brought a hand up to fiddle with the long silver chain around his neck. He stared in a way the soldier didn't really understand but liked nonetheless. 

Assessment aside, Bucky was about to respond with something witty and unabashedly flirty but found himself cut off by the grating noise of the washers buzzer going off.

Both men moved their focus to their laundry, friendly conversation continuing to flow. They passed the time with teasing small talk and, when Bucky’s clothes were finished, they exchanged numbers, each fully expecting that this would not be the last time they saw one another.

  
  


“Buck!” 

The soldier startles out of his reverie. “Jesus, what the hell are you yelling for, Rogers?!” 

“Been callin’ your name for two minutes, you just been starin’ off into space,” Steve responds, Brooklyn accent coming through.

"Well excuse me for zoning out when I got tired of waiting around for you to show up,” Bucky claps back. But his irritation has already faded, his focus now on the upcoming briefing. “But whatever, you’re here now. Let’s put our heads together and get ready for Fury.”

Steve shakes his head. “Change of plans, pal, just got word from Fury’s office that you are to skip the briefing and head for a meeting on the seventy-fifth floor.”

“The seventy-fifth…” Bucky wonders. "Whoa.”

SHIELD headquarters is housed in Midtown Manhattan inside of the renowned Stark Tower, owned by and named for Tony Stark, former so-called ‘Merchant of Death’ turned top government weapons manufacturer. His company, Stark Industries, now made weaponry exclusively for the United States government, supplying every branch of the military with everything from fancy pocket knives to the most high-tech warheads imaginable. It's well known that the first fifty floors of the building are leased office space -- floors forty-six through forty-nine being utilized by SHIELD itself -- but anything above the fiftieth is SI, housing the labs, offices, meeting rooms, research and development, and executive floors. All require top level clearance for entrance. It's said that President Obama himself couldn’t access the upper floors of the tower without a thorough vetting by Stark’s security team. 

If Bucky is being asked to the seventy-fifth floor, he has no idea why and has the funny feeling it isn’t for anything good.

Since his very public coming out, Bucky had had some fall out to deal with. He understood that his reassignment to SHIELD had less to do with his skill set and more to do with his former team leader, Rumlow, not wanting a ‘faggot’ around. The brass hadn’t been thrilled with him either, everyone is still pretty unsure of how to navigate this new phase of open sexuality. But, Bucky had become too high profile after the cover story to be silently phased out, so his current assignment had been a compromise that everyone could live with. Sure, the Sergeant would have rather been putting all of his training to good use back in the field, but he couldn’t deny that it was nice to be stationary for a while after being sent on short-term assignments all over the world for that last decade. However, none of this boded well for an invitation to the seventy-fifth floor.

“Did they say what the hell for?” Bucky asks Steve, hoping for more insight.

“Seems to be need-to-know, and I don't. All I know is they said someone would meet you at the North elevators in five minutes.”

Bucky sighs, nervously running his fingers through his short, dark hair. “Okay, if you don’t see me again, tell my sister and my folks that I love ‘em, will ya,” he says, only half joking.

“Very funny. I’ll catch you up on what you miss in the briefing tomorrow.”

“Be sure to sit next to that MI6 agent - Carter, is it?” Bucky can’t help but tease. He knows full well his best friend had developed a crush the moment moment he laid eyes on her. “Bet she takes good notes.”

Steve glares in response. “Ha ha. Your stellar sense of humour will be missed. Now, get going or you’ll miss your shot to get above the fiftieth floor.”

Bucky heads down the hall and winds through the corridors and cubicles until he gets to the North bank of lifts. Standing there is a stunning, smartly dressed red-headed woman with an air of authority about her that tells Bucky this is who he's supposed to meet. Her attire and demeanor making him uncomfortable, worrying that his jeans, boots, and rust-coloured Henley are completely under-dressed for whatever is about to happen.

“Hi there, I’m Sergeant Barnes,” Bucky says uncertainly.

“Nice to meet you, Sergeant,” the woman says, extending her hand in a firm shake while barely lifting her eyes from the tablet held in the crook of her other arm. “I’m Ms. Potts. Please follow me.”

They enter the waiting car and Ms. Potts produces a thick, black keycard that she swipes as the doors close, the car heading upward.

The lift is high powered and scarcely thirty seconds later there is a ding as the doors open to a brightly lit, sunny space of white marble and sleek steel. It’s clear that the decorating budget goes up as the building does.

“This way, Mr. Barnes,” Ms. Potts says as she heads to the right.

“Uh- you can call me Bucky, everyone does,” the soldier blurts out. It's mostly in an attempt to fill the unsettling silence, there seems to be no one else around, like the floor has been cleared.

“Very well. Bucky." The tone of Ms. Potts’ response makes it clear that he would not become privy to her first name in kind.

They walk through a large open area with floor to ceiling windows, seating areas furnished in white leather, and generous smatterings of exotic plants, until they come to a pair of shiny white double doors that open to the fanciest conference room Bucky has ever seen. The decor is similar to what they’d just passed, white leather chairs, exotic plants, and floor to ceiling windows. Bucky also notices what appears to be another elevator on the far wall, a private elevator that seems to open directly to the conference room.

Ms. Potts direct Bucky to take the center seat of the long, oval conference table made out of some kind of pale wood with an unusual, intricate grain. 

Without asking, Ms. Potts pours him a glass of water from the nearby crystal decanter and takes a seat opposite him. Producing a rather thick sheaf of papers and laying them, along with a very expensive looking pen, in front of the soldier, Ms. Potts states, “Mr. Barnes - excuse me - Bucky, I’m sure you have questions about why you are here, but before we can address those, I’m going to have to ask you to sign a non-disclosure agreement.”

“What?” Bucky asks, more than a little confused. “I have no clue what’s going on, what I’m doing up here, and you’re telling me that I have to sign an NDA to even ask why?”

“That’s correct.” 

“And if I refuse?”

“If that is your decision, we'll simply proceed back down to the forty-eighth floor,” Ms. Potts answers coolly.

Bucky stares at the stack of paper in front of him, deciding to take a look. He attempts reading over the information to see what he might be getting himself into, but three sentences in he realizes that the legal jargon is completely out of his depth. 

This is so surreal, the soldier is unsure what to do. 

Staring blankly at the page in front of him, he debates whether or not to just walk away. If he heads back down now he could still make the briefing. He could sit next to Steve and kick him under the table every time he catches the Captain staring at Agent Carter, watching his ears turn red and snickering. But, who is Bucky kidding? There’s no way he’d be able to concentrate on the briefing, he would spend the entire time wondering what would have happened if he’d stayed and found out what this was all about. 

Curiosity getting the better of him, Bucky grabs the pen -- Christ, it’s a Mont Blanc -- and recklessly signs his name in the indicated fields. All the time a little voice in the back of his mind reminding him that curiosity killed the cat.

Having signed the last line, he looks up to see Ms. Potts typing something into her tablet. When she’s done, she collects the signed NDA and ridiculously expensive pen and turns to the elevator door on the far wall.

“Thank you, Bucky,” she says as the lift silently slides open. “Now, I’d like to introduce you to-”

“Holy shit,” Bucky interrupts, mouth falling agape.

“Eloquently put, Sergeant Barnes,” a shorter than expected dark-haired man in a suit worth more than Bucky’s parent’s house snarks. “As you seem to have gathered, I’m Tony Stark.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I've kept some things out of the tags because they will be spoilers of what's to come, but I'm asking you guys if you'd rather know beforehand. (Hint: there is a character left out of the tags and a major ship that is *slowly* headed into port.) Let me know in the comments if you want spoilers and I'll update the tags.
> 
> I am Pac-Man, kudos are that dots I chase, leave them often. <3


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Early update. This chapter came together rather quickly, so I thought I'd gift you all with it before Friday. I'm hoping to have chapter three ready to post for Friday, too. Fingers crossed.
> 
> ***For clarification, because it is not explicitly made clear in this chapter, Tony doesn't not have the ARC reactor in this AU. His injuries in Afghanistan were non life-threatening.   
>  And Bucky's origin story, though mostly original, follows the comics, not the films. ***

Mind still reeling as to what in the hell he's doing in the same room as Tony _fucking_ Stark, Bucky just sits there, slack-jawed and staring.

Literally everyone knows who this man is. The genius inventor has been famous for almost as long as Bucky can remember. In the billionaire's wild and crazy youth he’d been known for gallivanting around to every hot spot on the planet, rubbing elbows with the rich and famous, throwing lavish parties that lasted days -- overflowing with alcohol, sex, and drugs. He’d even been attractive and well known enough to do some modeling back in the day. However, when he'd taken over the family business, his fame shifted to infamy. He became a ruthless tycoon, callously selling weapons to the highest bidder with no regard for the consequences. Stark would happily sell weapons intended for use on his own country if the payoff was high enough. But all that changed in 2007 when he was kidnapped and held hostage by rebels in Afghanistan. No one really knows the details of what happened or why -- news reports talked about blackmail and torture -- but all anyone knew for sure was that when he came back, he came back a changed man. He completely restructured his company and began working exclusively with the US government. Now he only did model work to promote children’s charities, and he utilized his fortunes to fund women’s shelters and emergency refugee assistance instead of throwing wild parties. He even volunteered with The Wounded Warrior Project. Tony Stark is a beloved icon again. So what in god's name is he doing here?

“Right then,” Stark snarks as he takes a seat. “I see we’re going to have to take this at grunt speed.”

Ms. Potts seats herself to his left and hands him a black leather portfolio. “James Buchanan Barnes,” he reads. "Born March 10, 1983 in Shelbyville, Indiana. Enlisted June 2001. Possesses an exemplary record of service, has climbed the ranks to Sergeant, and is the recipient of multiple commendations. It says here that you even received a Bronze Star for meritorious and heroic achievement when you lost _that_ to an IED,” he continues, indicating Bucky’s left arm. 

Bucky sits up straighter in his seat. “That’s classified.”

“You are aware that I have the highest possible government clearance, aren’t you?” Stark asks condescendingly. “Soldier, I know classified information that the president doesn’t even know. I know how Forty-One liked his eggs in the morning, I know which first ladies were the kinkiest, I know how many side pieces Clinton snuck into the oval office. Do you really think it was that hard to put together a dossier on little old you?”

Bucky can feel the blood pumping in his ears. This guy is really starting to piss him off. What the hell did he ever do to deserve this attitude from a man he’s never met before?

“Fair enough,” Bucky says, attempting to ease the building tension, “But, why? Who am I to you?”

Stark eyes him speculatively for a moment before heaving a loud sigh. “You’re the man who slept with my husband and I’d like you to start dating him,” he blurts. 

“What?!” Bucky exclaims, rising to his feet.

He looks to Ms. Potts, certain he’s misheard, and sees her hand over her face like she’s trying to distance herself from the whole situation.

Looking back to Stark, Bucky sees the man assessing him as though daring Bucky to refute the statement.

“You think I did what?!” Bucky asks again, completely floored as to where this is coming from. “I realize I may be a little bit well known for some ‘queer’ in the army, but if you think you can try and blackmail me by accusing me of having some kind of elicit affair, well, you got another thing coming, pal.”

Tony merely looks down at the portfolio in front of him, pulls something out and slides it across the table.

In confusion, the soldier looks down to see an eight-by-ten black and white photo of himself, lying flat of his back in the floor of a very nice kitchen, his hips straddled by a very naked Peter Parker.

All of the air huffs out of Bucky’s lungs as his knees nearly give out and sinks back into his chair. “Oh my god…” 

Looking back up at Stark’s defiant expression, he stares with his mouth open, attempting to process what this means.

“Your fucking gay?” the soldier blurts out. His mind is so overwhelmed that he can’t seem to focus on the bigger picture, instead asking the first inane question that pops into his head.

Tony huffs out a snide laugh. “My sexuality is not a matter up for discussion at the present moment but, let’s just say that I’ve never sworn allegiance to one team.”

Looking back down at the positively pornographic photo, Bucky snaps himself out of his stupor and presses on to get some answers. “So, what then, you have a husband and you had him -- _us_ \-- followed? You get some dirty pictures and you think you can hold this over my head or something? What do you want from me?!”

“I trust my spouse implicitly, Sergeant,” Stark answers levelly. "There was never any need to have you followed. In fact, I was closer than you realized during your little encounter. And may I say, your use of Russian for dirty talk is an interesting choice,” he adds, intentionally goading Bucky.

Barnes blanches, color draining from his face. If Stark knows that detail… Shit, Bucky thinks to himself, what the hell have I gotten myself into? Where the fuck is Peter? Does he know what’s going on?

“I wanna talk to Peter. I want to know what he has to say.”

“That can be arranged. He suspected you'd want to talk to him."

“Wait, he knows about all this?”

“He’s fully aware of the situation. But there is plenty that you are, as yet, unaware of. Now, may I continue?” 

Bucky is about to go off on this guy for his snooty attitude and this whole batshit crazy situation when Ms. Potts coughs pointedly. “Tony, I just got a message that attention is needed on eighty-two. Would you like me to take care it?”

“Yeah,” Tony sighs, expression softening. "Tell them I’ll be up as soon as I can.”

“Of course,” Ms. Potts replies before collecting her things to leave. “Bucky,” she nods before exiting through the same lift Tony entered from.

Stark turns back to Bucky and scrubs his hand over his face, looking like he would rather be anywhere but here. “Look, Sergeant Barnes,” Tony begins again, visibly attempting to reign in his irritation. “We have a proposition for you. If you'll let me, I’d like to lay everything out and let you make a decision as to whether or not you’d like to accept. Okay?”

Bucky stares intently at Stark for a moment, trying to divine some kind of answers from his face. Learning nothing, he sighs, leans back in his chair, and nods in agreement, gesturing for Tony to continue. 

“You’ve met Peter, so you are obviously aware of his charm, his magnetism. You’re not immune to his wiles. My husband and I have a complex, deep, loving, and -- in a manner of speaking -- open relationship. There is a lengthy and involved story as to how we came to be together, Sergeant, and I’ll let Pete tell whatever he feels like sharing. But here’s what you do need to know - I was serious when I said I’d like you to date my husband. This is outside of the norm for us, but as I mentioned already, my life is very high profile and I work in circles that are less than accepting of same-sex relationships. Recently rumors have begun to surface about my involvement with Peter. So far, we’ve been able to deflect them with stories about an internship with the company, but the vultures have smelled blood and begun circling closer.

“See, Pete has always been very open about his sexuality -- and I would never ask him to be anything else -- but there are pieces of Peter’s past that simply _cannot_ come to light, for many reasons. And if more vultures start circling, and the right people start asking the right questions… the results would be catastrophic. For Peter most of all.

“That’s where you come in, Barnes. Your sexuality is already a matter of public record, but you were closeted for however many years so you know how to keep a secret. You and Peter obviously have chemistry. You’re a trained Special Forces operative, you can keep him safe no matter where you go. You are exactly what we need right now. We would like for you two to start getting seen in public together. Get spotted around town doing ‘couple things,’ holding hands, huddling together in the cold, ice skating in the park, whatever. The point being, the media will take notice and the focus will shift away from any possible connection between Peter and me, protecting my family.”

Bucky is dumbfounded. “You want me to be your husband’s beard...”

The older man huffs a halfhearted laugh. “Essentially, yes.” 

Bucky groans and leans forward, putting his head in his hand. He should have just gone to the damn briefing, he could be watching a mind-numbing PowerPoint right now instead of having this truly bizarre conversation with a billionaire he just met who clearly can’t stand him.

“This is insane,” Bucky says into his hands. “Am I having some kind of hallucination here?” 

“Sergeant Bar-” 

The soldier pops his head up, gesturing wildly as he cuts the other man off. “Oh, please, call be Bucky! We’ve already established that I fucked your husband, no need to stand on formality!”

“Ha,” Stark barks out a laugh, the first genuine mirth Bucky has heard from the man. “All right, Bucky it is. This is a lot to process. Peter is waiting to talk and go over further details. He’d like to meet you-” he pulls a card out of the portfolio and slides it over to Bucky, “-here tonight at 8.”

The soldier just stares at the card like it might bite him. So many thought are flowing through his head that he doesn't even realize the address is the same as Peter's building.

After a long moment, Stark interrupts Bucky's racing mind, his voice with an edge of warning, “I’d like to remind you, Bucky, that you have signed an iron clad non-disclosure agreement and anything that was discussed in this room, anything you may discuss with my husband later, can be repeated to _no one_. Everything that's been proposed, that you're thinking over, can be repeated to _no one_. Not a soul outside of you, me, Peter, Ms. Potts, and my lawyer are aware of the situation. I trust Peter and Ms. Potts with my life, and I pay my lawyer such obscene amounts of money that I know I will never have to doubt his loyalties, so if word of this gets out, I will know where it came from.”

Bucky nods. He knows he should be offended. Ninety percent of his career has been top secret, he knows how to hold his tongue, but truth be told, this situation is so enormous that he was already thinking he had to talk to Steve about the whole crazy thing.

“Very well. I’m glad we have an understanding.”

“Fury,” Bucky wonders aloud, needing to know what the director has been told.

Stark has a cover story ready, “Security consult for highly classified research project. If he asks any questions, direct him to Ms. Potts.”

“Mmm,” Bucky hums in response, not having the mental capacity for anything else.

Rising to his feet, the other man gathers his things. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m needed on the eighty-second floor. I’ll have someone come see you out.”

Bucky shakes his head, “I can see myself out, if that's okay.” 

Stark shrugs indifferently, “Suit yourself. Normally I’d say ‘it’s been a pleasure’ but… this time I think I’ll just say it’s been interesting.”

And with that, he enters the elevator and is gone without a backwards glance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fear not, sexy times are coming. The first three chapters will be mostly world building and back story, but after that, it's gonna get dirty. (With plenty of plot to accompany the porn, don't worry.)
> 
> Also, people tend to have strong opinions on topping/bottoming/switching. If you've read part 1, you know Peter bottomed. Do y'all feel some type of way about the possibility of switching in the future? I am comfortable writing these characters as verse.
> 
> As always, I am Pac-Man, kudos are the dots I chase, leave them often. <3


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this beast has just come pouring out of me as fast as I can write it, so far. Here's your third update in less that an a week! This pace won't hold, don't expect eight thousand plus words every six days forever - lol! - but enjoy it while it lasts.
> 
> This chapter is dialogue HEAVY. But it's all important, world building stuff.
> 
> Also, this fic is very sex worker positive, if that is a problem for you, you might want to skip this chapter or move on to another story. Feel free to share your opinions so long as they are constructive and kind. Hate/judgement is not tolerated here.

Sitting on a bench on the west edge of the park, a very tall, dark man in a knee-length camel coat walks past with a tiny, skinny, rat-like dog in a purple puffy coat and _boots_? A tiny dog in tiny boots… Bucky couldn’t help but smirk to himself. He may have travelled the world over in the army, but for a boy from Indiana, sometimes this city just doesn’t make sense to him. However, he’s glad for a bit of levity to ease the tension inside himself. It is 7:50 pm, he’s supposed to meet Peter in ten minutes, and he still has no idea what he’s going to do.

When his meeting with Stark had ended, Bucky just sat there for he didn’t know how long, alone in the empty conference room. He’d been sure he wasn’t supposed to be in there anymore, but couldn’t bring himself to move, his mind still reeling from everything that had transpired. He hadn’t even noticed that the sun had gone down. Finally, when he just couldn’t sit still anymore, he’d decided to walk the fifteen or so blocks to Sixty-Second Street and Central Park West, where he is now, across the street from Peter’s building. 

The whole walk over Bucky’s mind had been a nonstop table tennis match of back and forth: walk away - don’t walk away - walk away - don’t walk away. He’d talked himself in and out of this crazy situation a hundred times. He’d tell himself that he was crazy to even consider this, that no good could possibly come of it, that there were too many variables, too many things that could go wrong, too many people involved, too much potential for someone to get hurt, too much potential for _him_ to get hurt. He’d go over everything and have himself completely talked out of it, ready to walk in the door and tell Peter ‘thanks, but no thanks,’ then he’d think of those big brown eyes, that perfect ass, and be right back to square one.

See, Stark hadn’t been wrong when he’d said there was something special about Peter, a magnetism. Bucky was no sentimental fool, he liked men and lots of them. He liked sex and lots of it. He wasn’t some ridiculous romantic that thought one day he’d meet his prince charming and they’d ride off into the sunset together. He was a career soldier, he knew better than to expect happily ever after. That being said, he still couldn’t manage to get Peter Parker out from under his skin. Since the day they met in that shitty laundromat he’d had this need to get to know him better, to find out what was going on behind those brown eyes. Now he just hoped those brown eyes wouldn’t be his downfall.

Glancing nervously at his watch, Bucky decides that ten minutes isn’t too early, bites the bullet and heads across the street. 

Upon entering the building, he’s greeted by a charming English doorman behind the counter in the foyer.

“Good evening, sir,” the doorman says, “how may I help you?”

“Hi,” Bucky replies nervously, “I’m, uh, here to see Peter Parker. Name’s Barnes.”

“Very good, Mr. Barnes, my name is Jarvis,” the gentleman nods, his tone the perfect balance of friendly and professional, “I’ve been asked to see you up. If you’ll follow me, please.”

They keep a companionable silence as they rude up in the art deco inspired elevator that matches the art deco inspired architecture of the building itself.

Upon arrival on the forty-first floor, Jarvis escorts him to the end of the corridor and unlocks the door to the flat directly below the one Bucky had visited his last time here.

Holding the door open, Jarvis doesn’t come inside, instead remaining in the corridor.

“I’ve taken the liberty of notifying Mr. Parker of your arrival,” the doorman informs him, “he should arrive shortly.”

“Thanks,” says Bucky.

“My pleasure,” comes the reply as Jarvis makes his exit, quietly closing the door as he does.

Bucky turns around and takes in his surroundings for the first time. This flat is significantly smaller than Peter’s, perhaps a third the size by the looks of it and a single story, but it’s just as nice. The floorplan is open, with the living, dining, and kitchen make up one large open room. The far wall is made up entirely of windows that overlook the park and the city beyond it. The lights are low but he can see that the floors are a mix of warm stone and dark, exotic hardwood, with a thick white rug in the living area and a matching one under the dining table. The furnishings are an eclectic mix of modern and classic that shouldn’t work together, but do. There are bookcases flanking a high fireplace surrounded by black marble on the left wall. The kitchen to the right is open concept with glossy black cabinets, marble countertops, and steel accents and appliances. Just to the right of the entryway there is a hall that appears to lead to the bedrooms.

Tentatively, unsure what else to do, Bucky sheds his coat and scarf, draping them over the arm of the couch as he makes his way into the living area. Unable to resist the stunning views of New York City at night, he finds himself in front of the impressive windows. 

He stands there for several minutes, mind wandering. He’s still entirely uncertain of what to do here. He’s had missions traversing minefield riddled jungles, across frozen tundras, through war zones, but he was trained in how to handle those situations. There’s no training for how to navigate this. And in this moment, Bucky’s not at all sure he might not trade a minefield for whatever the hell this madness is. At least then he’d know what he’s supposed to do.

Bucky is so lost in thought that he doesn’t hear a mechanical sliding sound, but an unexpected ding startles him and he whips his head around to see that one of the bookcases has slid aside revealing a steel elevator door behind it.

Seriously, he thinks, what is it with these people and private elevators?

He turns around just as the door slides open and Peter exits looking better than anyone has any right to in a pair of black joggers that accentuate all the right places and a red and blue t-shirt that is just this side of too tight.

“Bucky,” greets Peter, enthusiastically, face lighting up as though he’s genuinely thrilled to see the soldier again.

Damn, that smile makes Bucky’s chest feel warm and tight in a way he’s not ready to think about yet.

“Hey, kid,” Barnes replies, awkwardly shoving his hands in his pockets.

Peter smiles and gives Bucky a look that seems to be both apprehensive and playful.

“What, no hug?” he asks puckishly.

“I don’t know, is there going to be photographic evidence of the hug?” Bucky asks in response, chuckling but dead serious.

The smile on Peter’s face shifts to remorseful as he advances anyway, arms encompassing Bucky’s shoulders. Bucky’s arms snake around the kid’s waist without his permission.

“I deserved that,” he mutters into the other man’s ear.

Stepping apart and letting their arms fall, they stare at each other for a moment, assessing one another.

“Right,” Peter says, breaking eye contact and heading for one of the arm chairs, “why don’t you sit down and we can talk,” indicating for Bucky to take a seat on the couch, facing him.

Bucky obeys, seating himself on the edge, body position stiff and unsure.

“First thing first,” Peter begins, “I owe you an apology, Bucky. A big one. When I invited you that day, I had every intention of telling you about the cameras and stuff before we moved forward. I wanted to make sure you were comfortable before we did anything. But then you kinda mauled me in the kitchen and things went from zero to one-hundred and…” he shrugs apologetically.

Bucky shifts uncomfortably, beginning to feel bad about the way he had instigated things that day.

“Not that that makes anything your fault,” continues Peter, holding up a hand as if to halt the guilt he must read on Bucky’s face, “I should still have made sure you knew and were okay with it regardless. This is all on me. Guess your sexiness overrode my ability to think clearly,” he adds teasingly.

With a chuckle, Bucky lets his posture relax a little.

“All right, now it’s storytime,” says Peter, settling back into the chair and pulling his feet underneath him as he starts habitually fiddling with the same silver chain around his neck the soldier had noticed the first time they met.

Feeling that whatever is coming next will be long and involved, Bucky lets himself settle further back into the couch ready to listen.

“Am I gonna like this story?” he asks a little trepidatiously.

“Probably not,” answers Peter honestly, his eyes seeming older than his years as he says it, “I don’t like a lot of it and it’s my story. But shit happens to everyone, right?”

Bucky just nods, not at all sure he wants to hear this.

“The beginning seems like the best place to start, I guess,” Peter says. “When I was a little kid, both my parents died. They were in a plane crash. I was an only child and all the sudden found myself an orphan. But my dad’s brother and his wife took me in. Ben and May. They didn’t have any kids, so I kinda became their kid. They loved me like I was their own child and did the best they could for me, but I still had problems. I acted out in school a lot, never did my homework, got in fights. The shrink they took me to said something about repressed anger and unchallenged intellect, that school was too easy for me. So, my Uncle Ben found ways to challenge my mind, he got me into science - nerdy stuff - and made sure I had an outlet for something besides rage. We were really close, Ben and me, he was kinda my best friend.”

As Peter’s story had continued, he’d begun to smile at the memories, but now that smile faded, replaced by something darker.

“But when I was sixteen,” Peter paused to take a breath as though gathering strength to say the next part out loud, “everything changed. We stopped off at a bodega by our house. I needed to pee. Ben always teased me about having to go to the bathroom every five minutes. Anyway, I was washing my hands when I heard the loudest _pop._ And then another.”

His face completely closed off; the gorgeous, open, expressiveness that Bucky usually saw from Peter was gone, replaced by a blank mask.

“Mugging gone wrong," is all Peter says in explanation. "He tried to stop it. Can you believe that? Lifelong New Yorker, he should've known better. Should have kept his head down and his mouth shut instead of getting himself shot for his trouble.”

They sit in silence for a while. Peter lost in his memories, Bucky trying to process everything he’s heard.

“After Ben, I went ballistic," Peter finally continues. "I totally lost it. I left school, drank and smoked anything I could get my hands on. I just wanted to be numb. May did the best she could, but I didn’t want her help. I couldn’t stand the way she looked at me with nothing but pity and compassion in her eyes. I didn't want pity and compassion, I was too busy blaming myself. So I ran away. 

“I didn’t have any friends left by that point, so I was totally on my own. I had to find some way to get by and the easiest way to do that was sucking dick, so that’s what I did. Got pretty good at it, too. Learned some new tricks, broadened my clientele. I had a pretty good business going. Good enough that I caught the attention of an exclusive madame who took a liking to me and groomed me to become one of the boys at her club. Her place was different than anything I’d ever experienced. We catered to the richest of the richest, most powerful of the powerful. Some of the names I could drop would blow your mind. And I learned so much from her there. How to read people, anticipate their needs, to know what they needed better than they did themselves. People always talk about hair stylists and bartenders, how they are the poor man’s therapists of the world. Well, let me tell you, they’ve got nothing on the high end sex workers.”

Peter is grinning knowingly and Bucky has to smile too at the absurdity of what had just been said, though he’s pretty sure it’s one-hundred percent the truth.

“It was strange,” Peter keeps on, “when I was in the streets, sex work was a means to an end. John’s -- _and_ Jane’s -- were just nameless, faceless interactions. Nothing more. But once I was part of the club it was different. Sure, at the end of the day, it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, you still had to deal with tough clients and entitled assholes, but it started to feel like I was doing something that mattered. I was helping people in the most intimate way possible. They could tell me their deepest, darkest secrets - and _did_ \- and I would listen without judgement. They could fully explore their sexuality without fear, totally free of embarrassment or ridicule. For some of them, their time at the club was the only time they could truly be themselves. They were so trapped by their wealth and influence that they’d become a persona instead of a person. That’s where I met Tony.

“See, we had this hall -- The Gallery we called it -- for those who weren’t sure they wanted to participate yet. The Gallery was just for looking, watching. Each room that lined the hall had a Plexiglas wall for patrons to see what was happening inside. Always something different. Sometimes vanilla, sometimes kinky, sometimes solo, sometimes boy-girl, boy-boy, boy-girl-boy. You get the idea. The first time Tony spotted me was in The Gallery and he stayed to watch the entire time I was on display. Then he came back again. And again. For weeks he kept coming back whenever I was in The Gallery. He’d sit on the bench across from whatever room I was in and just watch. There was something about the way he watched me, like he was looking at _me,_ could actually see me. So, finally my curiosity got the better of me and I arranged to meet him and… that was that. The minute I met him, I couldn’t get enough. His charm, his charisma, his passion, his intelligence, his sense of humor, all of it. I’d never fallen for anybody like that before. He always says it was the same way for him. Shortly after, I left the club, moved in here, and five days after gay marriage was legalized in New York, we tied the knot in the mountains by Seneca Lake.”

There’s a pause, Peter seems to be letting everything sink in. 

As he percolates, Bucky looks over and finally notices that the chain the other man wears has a simple platinum wedding band at the end.

“Now,” Peter looks Bucky square in the eye, “why did I just tell you all the sordid details of my life and the less than traditional way I met my husband?” he asks. “The first part I told you because it only seemed fair, Tony pulled your whole file and knows all about you, I wanted you to know about me, too. 

“But the rest? That part was because you need to understand... that Tony likes to watch,” Peter informs Bucky plainly. "We have a fantastic sex life and are extremely satisfied with each other, but part of what brought Tony to club in the first place, before he ever even saw me, was voyeurism. This flat was set up for that purpose. In the past, we’ve invited in friends, sex workers, had arrangements with short term partners, stuff like that. Tony told me that he’d explained the public part of our proposition to you, now I’m filling you in on the private part. Everything _I’m_ offering right now is completely optional, if you want to be my fake boyfriend and nothing else, that’s totally fine. Just like it’s fine if you say no to the whole thing. But I want you to have all the facts.

“Virtually this entire flat is wired with cameras and sound. There are switches in each room to activate them, they aren’t running all the time. There are two bedrooms - one is set up for sleeping and isn’t wired at all, the other is a playroom, it’s set up for anything but sleeping and has more cameras than anywhere else. That’s the other half of our proposal; you and I get to keep having sex and Tony gets to watch.”

Dumbfounded, Bucky’s mouth hangs wide open but Peter just keeps right on going.

“You would live here, this would be your apartment. I’d have direct access to it through the private lift and could visit whenever you wanted me to. You’d receive a stipend every month for your… discretion. A contract would be signed that you agree to all the terms that we’ve laid out -- and anything that _you_ might like to add -- and, whenever you decide you want to leave our arrangement or get reassigned, you would receive a generous bonus for - I wanted to call it _hush money_ , but Tony said that's not funny.”

Peter chuckles at his own joke but Bucky’s mouth is still hanging open. He hopes there are no flies buzzing around.

“I get it,” Peter says kindly, “I’ve told you a lot tonight, all that I’m ready to. And it’s a lot to take in. Add your time with Tony from earlier and, well, I’m kind of amazed your brain hasn’t short circuited yet. So, I’m going to get out of your hair and let you think. We’ve made an appointment for you with our lawyer for one week from today in the same room you met Tony earlier. You won’t hear from me before then unless you want to. You should have all the time and space you need to really think this over, so I’m going to leave you alone. But if you want to talk, or even if you just have some more questions, _you_ can reach out to _me_ anytime you want. 

With that Peter rises and crosses to stand in front of Bucky. They look at each other for a long moment, each lost in their own thoughts. 

“Even if you decide to say no,” Peter says, still looking down at Bucky’s face, “I hope we can stay friends.”

Then he leans down and kisses Bucky’s cheek, lingering for just a second before he walks away.

“You can stay as long as you need. Just let Jarvis know when you leave,” says Peter as he enters the elevator. “G’night, Bucky. Hope I get to see you again soon.”

Bucky sits there for a minute after Peter is gone, mind going in circles like a carousel. 

Looking around the room, Bucky realizes he can’t stay there any longer, so he bolts to his feet. Only once he’s standing and he feels the stiffness in his legs does he realize that he hasn’t moved or spoken in over an hour. He was so intent on everything Peter was telling him that he didn’t even notice.

“I need a fucking drink,” he says to himself as he grabs his coat and scarf and heads out the door for the nearest bar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Personal note: It's not my intention for Peter to be OOC, but I lost a parent as a young child and, as a teenager, lost the person who had become their surrogate. In real life these things are hard and make you act out and have difficulty with emotions and relationships. That's what I'm exploring here. As always, feel free to share you thoughts in the comments so long as they are kind and constructive.
> 
> I am Pac-Man, kudos are the dots I chase, leave them often. <3


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut has finally arrived!!! Hope you enjoy what my dirty mind conjured up for you.
> 
> On a personal note: my depression and anxiety have been pretty bad lately and this fic has given me a wonderful outlet to express myself artistically despite what's going on in my head. So I just wanted to say thank you to everyone that has been reading, for the kudos and the comments. Interacting with you all has helped, as well as just knowing that you are out there reading and enjoying something that I created. Thanks again for being awesome. Hope you continue to enjoy the fic. XO

Bundled up against the bitter cold, jaywalking as he dashes across the street, Bucky finds that it’s entirely too early for him to care about crosswalks. His best friend should consider himself lucky, because his loyalty is the only reason that his ass willingly got out of bed at the crack of dawn on a Saturday to come to some diner in Brooklyn. 

When Steve called him at six this morning asking him to meet because he needed to talk, Bucky’d had to remind himself that he couldn’t be mad at the guy because he didn’t know. He didn’t know that Bucky had the most major situation of major situations that he needed to talk about but couldn’t. It’d been five days since _that day_ , and Bucky hasn’t slept properly since. He still has no idea what to do. 

He’s thought things over and over until his head spins but there are just certain aspects of the situation that he can’t get his mind around. Bucky is fine with the ‘beard’ part. He’d had a beard of his own when he’d first joined up; Connie, a closeted lesbian he met in Basic. And he and Connie had had some decent sex in their time -- as good as two people into their own gender can have anyway -- so, he's okay with that part, too. Bucky would consider himself a pretty sexually adventurous man. He isn’t shy about it, he’s hooked up enough, even gotten a little freaky a time or two. But being _watched_ he does know about. Would he feel pressure? Would he even be able to perform knowing one of the most powerful men in the world is watching him? That _does_ bother him. 

Moreover than that, there are other factors that bug him, too. Namely the other men’s motives, their ‘why’s.’ Like, why does Stark seem to hate him so much? Peter made it clear that they’d done this before, did he hate all the other guys, too? If so, then why do it? And what was in this for Peter? The way he loved Tony was written on his face whenever he talked about the man, so what does he get from fucking Bucky on the side? These are the questions that have kept him up at night.

But, none of that is Steve’s fault, and he's completely oblivious to it anyway. If Steve needed to talk, well hell, Bucky's just glad that the guy has problems that he _can_ talk about.

Entering the diner, Bucky sees Steve’s large frame tucked into a two-person booth with a half-eaten stack of pancakes in front of him. His shoulders are rolled forward like he’s trying to shrink himself down. Bucky knows the body language; Steve’s been rejected by a woman. For a colossal-sized man, the guy is a marshmallow on the inside, a hopeless romantic, always looking for Ms. Right. The search is seldom successful.

Taking a seat, Bucky notes that Steve's already ordered him a coffee, god bless him. He knows Bucky doesn’t eat breakfast but would be grumpy and caffeine might help.

“Hey, Buck,” he halfheartedly greets.

“Hey. What the hell happened to you? You look like you just lost your puppy, big guy.”

Steve lets out a melodramatic sigh. “I took a shot with Peggy - Agent Carter, and… it didn't go the way I hoped."

“She shoot you down?” 

“If only.”

“What does that mean?” 

“Well…” Steve hedges like there’s something he doesn’t want to share.

“Am I missing something?” 

Avoiding eye contact, Steve says, “Okay, so, I _may_ have asked her out the first day we met last month. And we _may_ have been quietly seeing each other ever since.”

“All right. I feel like I’m still missing something…” 

The blond shifts uncomfortably. “And I _may_ have developed strong feelings for her and last night... IgotdrunkandtoldherIlovedher!” he buries his head in his hands as the words tumble out.

“Jesus Christ, Steve.” admonishes Bucky. 

“I know!” the other says through his fingers. “I know! But she’s special, Buck! There’s something about her. I think she might be the one.”

Steve sounds truly miserable. The man can’t help that he wears his heart on his sleeve. Bucky lets out a sigh, mostly in exasperation, but there’s a little pity mixed in with it. “Setting aside the last three times you told me some woman was ‘the one,' what did she say when you professed your love to her, dumb ass?”

Steve groans as he raises his head back up, “That’s the worst part. She was really nice about it! So, sweet. She said that she appreciated my honesty and emotional vulnerability, but that, at this point in her life, her career comes first. She said that she’d even like to keep seeing me casually if I could accept that. It's just that she’s not willing to put a relationship first until she retires or starts riding a desk.”

“I’m lost here, Steve. She didn’t shoot you down, so what seems to be the problem here?”

“The _problem?_ ” Steve fires back, flustered. “The problem is that I’m in love with this woman, I tell her how I feel, and she says ‘thanks, but not now!’ What am I supposed to do with that, Buck?!”

“Stevie,” says Bucky in a placating tone. “Did you _talk_ to her about this? Or did you freak out and just leave?”

Steve's silence all the answer Bucky needs.

“Man, I get it,” the Sergeant continues. “You thought it was going to go one way and it went another. But she didn’t say no, Steve, she was honest with you right back. So, it seems to me that you’ve got two options here, pal. One: you let your doubts about what she said win and lose out on a chance with the woman you claim to love. Or two: you put your pride aside, talk to her, and see if you might still be able to make this thing work.”

As soon as the words leave Bucky’s mouth he freezes. Everything he’d just told Steve was exactly what he needed to hear himself. Peter had told him to ask any questions, raise any reservations, but he hadn’t. He’d let his pride get in the way. But giving Steve a kick in the pants gave him a kick in his own. He knows what he needs to do.

“Damn, Bucky,” Steve says with disbelieving sarcasm. “When did you get so smart?”

“Guess I’m getting smarter by association,” Bucky absentmindedly responds, not paying attention to Steve. He’s already fishing his phone out of his pocket and rising to his feet.

“I gotta run, Steve,” Bucky says, making up an excuse as he goes. “I, uh, forgot that I got some place to be. I’ll catch you later, okay.”

He doesn’t wait for Steve’s confused response, just heads out the door already texting Peter.

.o0o.

They'd agreed to meet back at what could potentially become Bucky’s apartment to talk. Bucky had been escorted up by Jarvis and was seated patiently on the couch waiting for Peter’s arrival. 

Bucky feels more at ease than he has in five days. He had a plan of action now. Ask his questions of Peter, get the answers he needs, and make an informed decision.

Just then Bucky hears the mechanical slide and ding indicating Peter’s arrival. This time he walks over to greet him. Reaching out for a quick embrace, he says, “Hey, thanks for agreeing to meet me.”

The younger man seems genuinely pleased that Bucky reached out. “No problem. I’m so glad you texted me.”

They stand there for a moment, both a little unsure how to proceed until Peter says, “I know you have questions, and I’m happy to answer anything, but I thought you might want a tour of the place while we talk. You know, in case you move in here. We didn’t really get around to that last time.”

“Sure, that'd be nice.”

They meander through the living room, dining area, and kitchen making small talk, with Peter pointing out different features and details as they go. Turns out the apartment was originally his, he’d lived here for a little while before he was ready to officially move in with Tony.

As the pair make their way down the ‘L’ shaped hallway and enter the master bedroom -- large, elegant space that features the same spectacular windows as the living area -- Bucky is impressed with what he sees and says as much as they both sit down on the end of the bed.

“Thanks,” Peter says looking around a little awkwardly. “We had to redo it not too long ago. This guy, Wade, that was here for a while had some kind of episode and started painting white and yellow boxes all over the walls. He said it was the voices in his head.”

“Wow,” Bucky says, stunned. “Would this guy happen to be one of the ‘short term arrangements’ you mentioned before?” 

The younger man looks pensive as he replies, “Yeah, he was. He was really sweet, funny - and hot as hell - but he had some demons to deal with. He’s in rehab now, Tony sent him to a nice place up state.”

That answers confuses the soldier and he sees his window to jump in. “Okay, see, that’s one of the things I gotta ask you about. You just said Stark sent this dude to rehab like he was helping out a friend or something, but when I met with him, he could barely stand the sight of me, like he was pissed off by my presence alone. So, what gives? Why does Tony despise me? Because, I gotta say, I can’t see this thing working out too well with your husband hating my guts.”

“Oh, Bucky, no,” says Peter earnestly, grabbing his hand. “Tony doesn’t hate you, he doesn’t even know you. See, this is difficult for him because... you know the truth. When we’ve done this in the past, it’s been short-term; we tell them I’m a camboy or something, they agree to be filmed, sign paperwork, we fuck, and then they’re gone. But with you, I insisted that you know the whole story, as much I could tell you anyway, and that’s really hard for Tony. He’s _very_ protective of me, of our family, he likes to play things close to the chest, and now you know all about me, my history, about our marriage. You know some of the things that Tony keeps most private and that’s scary for him. The only other time we tried anything close to this was Wade, and you already heard how well that went. But, I promise, Tony is all bark and no bite, you’ll see.”

Huh, Bucky hadn't thought about it like that. He also hadn’t thought that he’d be seeing more of Stark. But he wasn’t opposed getting to know him better. He was intrigued by the man.

“All right,” Bucky finally says. “That makes sense, I guess. But what about you? I don’t get what you get out of this. You go all doe-y eyed when you talk about Tony, it’s obvious you’re madly in love with him. The fake boyfriend part makes sense, but not really the sex ‘cause your husband likes to watch part.”

A lascivious grin slides across Peter's face as he says, “That’s easy to explain. I’m a twenty-year-old former sex worker with years of experience and an _almost_ insatiable libido. My husband is forty-two-years-old, runs a Fortune 10, works eighty plus hours a week, manages a public persona, sits on multiple charity boards, and makes all the time for our sex life that he can, but… Trust me, we have mind blowing sex every moment that we can, but those moments can be few and far between. And that’s where you come in.”

Bucky nods. That makes perfect sense. He knows all about sexual frustration. When he’s on a mission, sometimes he’ll go the whole assignment with nothing but his right hand for company. And those assignments can last for months.

That just leaves him with one more point of clarification, and he is a little uncomfortable broaching that subject. He tries to speak but hesitates, unsure of what to say.

Peter squeezes his hand encouragingly, teasing, “Come on, soldier, spit it out. What else do you want to know?”

“Well, it’s more… It’s just- I don’t know- Fuck it. I’m freaked out about _knowing_ that I’m being watched. Like, what if I get up in my head about it and can’t… ya know?”

“Ahh,” Peter nods, thinking for a moment before continuing. “Well, they say you never know until you try, right?”

The younger man rises to his feet, bringing Bucky up with him. “Why don’t we try and see what happens?” he asks. His eyes go dark as he pulls Bucky along, exiting the master and heading to the room adjacent.

“Okay.” Bucky nods his head fervently, fully on board with this idea.

Peter grins, holding out a hand as though he’s Willy Wonka welcoming a kid to his candy factory, he announces, “Welcome to the playroom...” 

“Holy shit,” Bucky says slowly as he takes in the sight before him.

There are no windows in this room but it is large and luxurious. And clearly _not_ designed for rest. The walls and floors are bright white, but everything else is black. The large four poster bed in the centre with restraints attached to the posts, the dresser that’s topped with trays of lubricants, bowls of condoms, and an array of sex candles, the swing mounted in the far corner, the shelves lining the wall adorned with rows of plugs, dildos, floggers, clamps, vibrators, and paddles, the leather loveseat along the other wall, even the sensual pieces art throughout the room are varying shades of black.

Dear God, Bucky is already chubbing up just taking a look around.

“Like what you see?” Peter inquires playfully.

Bucky just nods with a lewd grin, heading further into the room but the younger man pulls him to a halt by the hand he still holds. “I don’t want to make the same mistake twice,” he says seriously. “I want to make sure that I have your full consent before I turn on the cameras. Are you okay with this?”

“Yes, I’m good.”

At that, Peter turns flips switch by the door, triggering a tiny red light just above it to come on, but Bucky sees no other indication of the cameras in action. In fact, he can’t even see the cameras themselves, they are well camouflaged.

“Alright, Sergeant, let’s see what you got when you’re being filmed. Strip."

“Sir, yes, sir." The soldier happily removes his clothes while walking backwards into the room as Peter advances on him, backing him up until he hits the giant bed and plops down. The younger man, also stripped, climbs onto his lap and attacks Bucky’s mouth. They stay like that for a few minutes, kissing passionately. 

“How do you feel about division _sixty-nine_ , soldier?” Peter finally inquires, smiling at his own dumb joke.

“It’s my favourite division,” Bucky grins, playing along.

“Glad to hear it,” Peter replies, laying down on the bed and pulling Bucky on top of him.

They bring their mouths back together for another scorching kiss before Bucky breaks away, rising to his knees, and starts kissing his way down his partner's body as he begins to angle himself in the opposite direction. They end up on their sides facing each other, Bucky with feet to the top of the bed, Peter the reverse.

The older man is unprepared as Peter doesn’t hesitate to lean forward and swallow his already hard cock all the way down, Bucky gasps and reminds himself not to buck in response. _God_ , Peter’s mouth is amazing. But Bucky’s no slouch in the blow job department, so he brings his attention to Peter’s dick and licks a stripe across the prominent vein along the side before bringing the tip between his lips and swirling his tongue. 

They continue sucking each other off for a while, the squelching, groaning sounds now echoing through the room positively obscene.

It’s at this moment that Bucky’s mind decides to remember that they’re being filmed. That Tony Stark will watch this, or is watching it right now. He pauses. He thought this would freak him out, make him get in his head. But instead he finds that he is incredibly turned on by it. Oh god, he is so fucking turned on by it that his balls start to draw up like some overenthusiastic teenager who’s gonna blow his load too soon.

Bucky pulls away from his partner. “I want to fuck you,” he inelegantly says, voice wrecked as he takes in Peter’s glistening, reddened lips.

“Yes, _please_ ,” Peter replies, enthusiastically launching himself onto the soldier. As he bites and suck his way across the soldier's neck and shoulders, he whispers, “Want to know a secret?” 

“Hmm,” Bucky hums, a little lost in sensation as the other man nibbles his ear.

Leaning back to look him in the eye, breathing heavily, the younger man tantalizingly murmurs, “Tony fucked me right before I got here and my hole is still sloppy and loose, just waiting for you cock.”

The Sergeant groans, dick getting even harder. “ _Shit_ , that’s so fucking hot.”

As if to make it even hotter, Peter rolls off of Bucky and gets on his hands and knees, presenting his pink, abused hole as he wiggles his ass enticingly. "Like what you see?" he wants to know. 

Bucky lets out an unintelligible string of Russian profanity in response and, without thinking, moves to get his mouth on that hole, eating Peter’s ass out like it’s his meal on earth.

“Oh god,” Peter chokes out, his own dick creating leaking now. “Fuck- _yes-_ ohhh, just like that, just like that, just like that- _shit_.”

As his tongue dives deeper into Peter’s channel, Bucky can taste traces of Tony’s spend -- the bitter tanginess of the other man’s release -- and is taken aback by what it does to him. He finds it _empowering_. Knowing that he’s fucking another man's husband while traces of that man's spunk are still up his husbands ass and that man is watching him do it… It’s the single most erotic thing Bucky's ever experienced and has his dick so hard it hurts. 

“Fuck, doll,” Bucky pants out. “If I don’t get my dick in you soon, I’m going to explode.”

Already out of breath, Peter snaps, “Then - hurry up - and - fuck me! That’s an order - Sergeant.”

The soldier groans at what being called by rank in bed does to him as hops up to grab lube off the dresser -- no condoms needed since they established they were clean before their first hook up -- and is back on the bed in a flash.

Generously lubing up his first two fingers, Bucky distributes the lube in Peter’s hole before adding more to his own cock. _Goddamn it_ , he is fucking hot. “Baby,” he huffs. “I gotta warn you, this ain’t gonna last. You’re too goddamn sexy.”

“For Christ's sake, Bucky, I’m leaking like a faucet over here! A strong gust of wind could make me come! Just get your fucking dick in me. _Now!”_

Shit, does Bucky like a bossy bottom. 

Doing as he’s told, with no preamble, he pushes in to the hilt.

“Gahhh,” Peter chokes, clutching the sheets below him.

Concerned that his partner might be uncomfortable as a result of his haste, Bucky forces himself to still, allowing Peter time to adjust. The soldier is shaking from head to toe in his effort to keep himself from thrusting.

“S’ok, you can move.”

That’s all Bucky needs. His self control crumbling, the soldier leans forward, wrapping an arm around Peter's chest as his other arm holds him up and he lets loose. Bringing his hips back slowly, he snaps them forward to pound into Peter, pulling the other man back to meet each thrust. Keeping up this brutal pace has both men are panting and moaning.

“Jesus, right there,” Peters sputters. “Right _fucking_ there. Oh god…”

All the soldier can manage in reply is an ineloquent grunt.

Groaning and mewling, Peter starts to shake until his arms give out beneath him. Instead of letting him fall, Bucky tightens his grip across the younger man's chest and hauls them both up to their knees, never losing rhythm. “You almost there, baby?” he puffs out.

A keen is all the response he gets.

Taking that as his queue, Bucky wraps a hand around his partner's length and begins to stroke, matching pace with his thrusts.

“Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit,” Peter repeats over and over as his hands snake their way behind him into Bucky’s hair. Then, without warning, the younger man's back arches and a string of curses flows out of his mouth as he spills rope after rope of release across the bed, screaming and trembling as he comes.

Bucky strokes him through his climax and lets Peter crumple forward onto the bed. Cock slipping out, he leans over Peter’s quaking body and takes himself in hand, furiously jacking his cock until he’s crying out in pleasure, painting stripes of come all over the the man’s ass.

Totally spent and unable to remain upright, Bucky collapses forward onto the bed next to Peter, panting. "That was fucking amazing."

"Mmm, it was pretty damn incredible," Peter agrees, stretching gingerly.

As they lay there catching their breath, Bucky doesn't realize that he's dozed off until Peter cards a hand through his hair to wake him. “Hey, I gotta head home,” the young man says softly.

Confused to see that Peter is cleaned up and fully dressed, Bucky groggily responds, “Okay.” He must have been sleeping harder than he thought.

“You were pretty out of it, soldier,” Peter states with a smirk. “Take you time heading out. Just relax, use the shower, whatever you want, all right.” And with that, he leans forward and kisses Bucky gently but thoroughly. As he pulls back he looks the soldier in the eye for a long moment, an almost hopeful expression on his face, and then makes his exit.

Bucky slumps back on the bed. This is not how he saw his conversation with Peter going, but he is certainly not going to complain. Their time together had been very enlightening. When he arrived earlier he’d been confused and had more questions than answers, but Peter had been right, sometimes you don’t know until you try. And was he ever glad they tried, because Bucky had learned some new things about himself. Like how much he _liked_ knowing that someone was watching them, how empowered and aroused it made him feel. 

Everything he'd learned gave Bucky the clarity he needs. He's going to do it. He's going to agree to this crazy thing. 

Bucky laughs out loud to himself alone in the soiled silk sheets. He has no idea what’s going to happen or how this is going to shake out. But the one thing he knows for certain is that it’s going to be one hell of a ride.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The bit with Steve talking about Peggy is an inside joke for myself. While I have no problem with Steve/Peggy, I find it endlessly hilarious that they are considered the great love story of the MCU, the love that spanned decades and even time itself couldn’t keep them apart, when, in reality, they never even properly dated. This amuses me, hence the joke.
> 
> Also, I stan SpideyPool hard, so I had to throw in a lid nod to that, just for me. 
> 
> As always, I live for kudos and love interacting in the comments!!! Let me know what you think!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another early update because this story has a mind of its own and won't leave me be.
> 
> Guys, this chapter fought me tooth and nail, and I'm feeling really insecure about it. It just didn't want to cooperate, or be cohesive, or play nice with the rest of the story. But after editing and re-editing it for days, I decided just to post it and hope for the best. 
> 
> I would love constructive feedback on your thoughts and opinions. How's the pace? Does the smut feel honest? Do my words even make any sense at all?! Lol! Please let me know. Thanks!!!

Physical fitness is integral to being part of Special Forces, it’s a given. And working out was not something that Bucky ever really thought of as dangerous, until today. Until he was in the midst of bench pressing two-twenty-five and looked over to see Peter mid deep squat and almost lost his head. Literally. That tight ass in those little gym shorts made him completely lose his grip, dropping the barbell. Lucky for him, they were in Stark’s private gym at the Tower and it had the most high-tech equipment Bucky had ever seen, so the electronic bench press caught the plummeting barbell itself and the worst that happened was Bucky’s embarrassment. Because, of course, Peter saw the whole thing and the little shit is laughing at his expense. It wasn’t _that_ funny.

“Smooth move,” comes a snarky voice from above Bucky’s head.

He looks up to see that Stark himself had entered the room just in time to also find humor in his embarrassment.

That’s _great_ , Bucky thinks, now Money Bags is laughing at me too.

In the month or so since he and Peter had become ‘official’ he’d seen Stark several times, but they still hadn’t talked much. He hadn’t gotten the angry, disdainful vibes from their first meeting again, though. Whether that was because of Peter intervening or not, he didn’t know, but Bucky got the distinct impression that Tony was just sizing him up. 

Uncertainties with Stark aside, the rest of the last month had gone pretty well. After the mountain of paperwork was signed, Bucky got moved in, and had fairly seamlessly integrated into part of Peter’s life. Tony worked ridiculous hours, so it was easy to work around his schedule. And as Bucky found out, Peter -- while not an actual SI intern -- was, like, a literal genius and came to the Tower most days to help Tony with science-y things that Bucky couldn’t even begin to pronounce. They had the whole eighty-second floor set up as a lab-slash-living quarters, and as far as the rest of the world was aware, that’s where Tony Stark lived. Bucky had never gotten to visit their floor but it was nice having Peter nearby, sometimes they’d get to enjoy lunch together. And some days they'd enjoy a little more than just lunch.

When it had come to making their relationship known, none of them wanted to make a big splash in the press, so it had been agreed that Peter and Bucky would just go out in public a couple of times a week for ‘date nights; they’d gone to the Empire State Building, Central Park Zoo, a Broadway show, and a few other quintessentially New York City things that Bucky had never gotten to experience before. It only took three ‘dates’ for them to get noticed, and all that resulted was a small blurb below the fold on Page Six exclaiming “Sergeant Rainbow Finds New Paramour in Stark Industries Intern.” God, did Bucky hate the nickname the press had given him, but he was thrilled that they hadn’t ended up further in the spotlight.

On Bucky’s side of things, the transition had been smooth sailing. Things were going well (if a little boring) with SHIELD, Bucky’s story of consulting on security for a classified research project with SI had been bought by everyone and he’d gotten settled into his amazing new apartment that was supposedly a perk of his consultation. Sam, his old Army buddy, had been thrilled to have Bucky off his couch, even if he’d been very gracious about it. Steve had just been delighted that Bucky found someone he wanted to be with. He was so thrilled that he kept bringing up double dates, since he and Peggy were trying to make a go of it, but Bucky continued to make up excuses because he and Peter weren’t ready for best friend level scrutiny yet. All that combined with the amazing sex he and Peter were having on a regular basis, and Bucky was plenty glad that he’d agreed to this arrangement.

Well, until he remembers that he’s currently being laughed at.

“It’s not my fault,” Bucky grumbles, “those shorts are unsportsman like conduct.”

“He’s got you there, babe,” agrees Tony with a chuckle.

Just then Pepper -- _Ms. Potts_ , Bucky corrects himself internally, as it had been made clear that he had not yet earned the privilege of utilizing her first name -- comes breezing in, tablet in hand. Bucky’s never seen the woman look like she’s not on a mission.

“Your eight fifteen just got bumped up to seven forty-five,” she informs Stark, “I’m afraid you’ll have to cut your morning workout short, Tony.”

“Oh joy,” he deadpans before stepping over to kiss Peter, “I’ll see you in the lab later, sweetheart.” 

“Project One is already waiting for you upstairs,” Ms. Potts tells Peter with a smile as she and Tony make their exit.

“I better get going then,” Peter says to Bucky, turning to head for the showers, “I’ll see you tonight.”

They had planned a date to the movies that night to see one of Bucky's favorites that he was shocked to learn Peter had never even heard of.

“Ya know,” the soldier says as he halts Peter by wrapping an arm around his waist, “I’ve still got half an hour before I’ve gotta be to my office. I could join in the showers…” he adds suggestively as he kisses a stripe down the other man’s neck.

“Mmmm,” Peter grumbles in disappointment, “I wish I could. But hold on to that thought, I’ll make it up to you later.”

“All right,” Bucky says, sighing in mock devastation, “I’ll hold you to it.”

In promise of what's to come, Peter leans in and kisses Bucky breathless before sauntering off to the showers, wiggling his ass as he goes.

It's going to be a long day, Bucky thinks to himself as he watches Peter walk away.

.o0o.

Sometimes twenty-five year old movies don’t translate to the modern audience as well as you want them to. Despite being a beloved favorite of Bucky’s, they were more than halfway through Lethal Weapon and Peter was less than interested in what was going on on the screen. Normally Bucky would be disappointed, but his date’s disinterest meant that, instead of watching, they were passionately making out in the balcony like a couple of hormone addled teenagers. 

Bucky was currently caressing Peter’s tongue with his own, both men panting heavily.

Breaking away for air, Peter brings his mouth to Bucky’s pulse point and starts sucking. He’s gentle enough not to leave a mark but firm enough to get the man’s blood pumping in a southerly direction.

“God,” Bucky mumbles, “that feels good.”

“Gonna make you feel even better,” Peter murmurs against his throat as he brings a hand down to cup his partner’s burgeoning erection.

“Fuck,” mutters Bucky as he quickly glances around to check that the coast is clear.

It’s dark and they look to be the only ones in the balcony. It seems there’s no one around to witness any dirty deeds.

Smiling, Bucky grabs Peter’s chin and pulls him back in for another smoldering kiss.

“I want to suck you off,” Peter mutters into Bucky’s mouth.

“Oh, hell yes,” the soldier nods in response.

A lewd grin overtakes Peter's face at Bucky's willingness to engage in some light exhibitionism. He slowly leans over, opens the other man’s fly and reaches in to free his member. 

Looking Bucky square in the eye, Peter lets his mouth fall open and spittle drool out, catching it in his palm. Never breaking eye contact, he proceeds to use that spit-slicked hand to grasp Bucky’s rapidly hardening shaft, slowly pumping.

Eyes falling closed, the older man chokes back a groan.

Peter’s hand stills.

“Uh-uh,” he shakes his head, “eyes on me. I want to see you.”

Bucky raises his heavily lidded eyes, reestablishing eye contact with his partner.

As soon as their eyes link Bucky feels a jolt, it’s like an electric current is running through him. There is something about the intensity when he and Peter are together like this that is almost tangible. Like he couldn’t look away if he wanted too. And somewhere in the back of his mind there is a voice telling him this isn’t a good thing, that he’s going to get in too deep. He promptly ignores it.

Happy with his partner’s full attention, Peter shifts onto the floor at Bucky’s feet. Still stroking with his right hand, the young man brings his left thumb up to brush the frenulum firmly.

Bucky has to grab hold of both armrests to keep still. He’s panting now, biting the inside of his cheek to keep quiet.

Eyes still held firm, Peter finally leans forward and sucks the tip of Bucky’s dick into his mouth, painting figure eights across the slit with his tongue.

“Fuck,” Bucky groans.

Enjoying his partner’s responsiveness, Peter, hand still around Bucky’s cock, moves forward and swallows him down, hollowing out his cheeks for maximum suction as he starts to bob up and down, hand and head moving in painfully slow tandem.

Bucky hisses and grabs Peter’s hair gently, hoping to speed up his movement, but the young man isn’t willing to be rushed. He stills his rhythm and begins swirling his tongue around Bucky’s glans while his thumb traces the prominent veins lining the underside of the shaft. At the same time he brings his other hand up and begins fondling Bucky’s balls, alternating between lightly squeezing and tugging.

Bucky grunts loudly. Something about the mix of the connection between their eyes and the danger of possibly getting caught in a semi-public place has him desperate. 

Peter’s eyes clearly convey a smile at Bucky’s enthusiasm. Taking pity on his partner, he picks up the pace again, bobbing in earnest for a moment before taking the cock all the way to the back of his throat and swallowing around it.

“Ahh,” Bucky cries entirely too loudly.

To stifle the older man’s vocalizations, Peter’s hand leaves Bucky’s balls as he reaches up to thrust his fingers into the soldier’s mouth to quiet him.

A sheen of sweat has broken out across the Bucky’s skin. Sucking Peter’s fingers to stay grounded while staring into those endless brown orbs, he starts to shake as he feels himself getting closer to the edge. 

The hand in Bucky’s mouth clamps down, a warning to remain silent, then the hand is removed and, the next thing he knows, Peter’s thumb is firmly pressing into his taint, externally stimulating his prostate, and that’s all it takes.

Bucky comes like a freight train. His whole body goes taught. He can feel Peter swallowing as he quakes with each contraction of his release. Unable to keep his eyes open, his head falls back onto his seat and he shoves a fist into his mouth to remain quiet as Peter continues to work him through each aftershock. 

Totally spent, Bucky leans back for a moment, composing himself. To stretch, he lolls his head to the side and- he freezes.

“Oh shit,” he whispers.

Peter straightens up at Bucky’s distraction and that’s when he notices what the other man has just seen. They’re not as alone as they thought. There’s another person, someone in a dark sweatshirt with the hood up, that’s seated in the farthest corner, all the way across the balcony from them.

They look at each other, uncertain. Both concerned about the repercussions of being caught.

As Bucky catches his breath and tucks himself back into his pants he pulls Peter back up to his seat. The individual looks to be caught up in the movie and doesn’t seem to be looking in their direction. It’s safest to act normal and assume their activities haven’t been noticed.

“Should we get out of here?” Peter asks, unsure.

“Yeah,” Bucky nods, “that’s probably a good idea.”

They head out the back and make their way downstairs. 

Unable to find a release because of their unexpected intrusion, Peter is still hard in the confines of his jeans and excuses himself to the restroom to readjust before they leave.

Waiting outside, leaned against the wall, Bucky sees someone descend the stairs. They’re clearly male and are wearing a dark sweatshirt with the hood up. It could easily be the same person from the balcony, but they walk right past Bucky without so much as a glance so he doesn't think anything of it. And a moment later Peter emerges and they head home. 

It’s an unseasonably nice night for February in New York, so they are walking. Hand in hand, they set a leisurely pace.

As they stroll they flirt and banter back and forth, Peter teasing Bucky about his bad taste in movies.

In the middle of a joke about Mel Gibson’s mullet, Bucky catches a figure out of the corner of his that seems to be following them. It looks like a guy in the same dark sweatshirt with the hood up.

Making no visible indication that he’s noticed, Bucky shifts his arm around Peter’s shoulder. He keeps them walking towards home while secretly keeping an eye on the stranger to confirm if they are being tailed. They are, this guy’s not very good at it.

Under the guise of further flirting, he leans in to whisper in Peter’s ear.

“Don’t react,” he says slowly, “but we’re being followed.”

Ever the pro, Peter picks up the ruse without missing a beat.

“Paparazzi?” he whispers back.

“No, definitely not a pap.”

They stroll in silence for a while, pretending to neck as they surreptitiously steal glances at their follower.

When they've gone a few more blocks without losing him, Bucky decides to do something about it.

“Take out your phone and open the camera,” Bucky says into Peter’s ear.

The young man does as he’s asked.

“On the count of three,” Bucky instructs, “I’m going to turn us around and I want you to get this guy on camera.”

Peter nods.

Bucky quietly counts before spinning them around on queue and stepping forward to keep the man’s attention on him.

“Hey,” he yells, “can we help you?”

Peter’s flash goes off as the man throws up a hand to cover his face.

The flash continues to go off intermittently as the camera keeps snapping photos, but the guy turns tail and runs without saying a word.

Bucky’s head snaps back and forth between Peter and the man making his escape, unsure whether or not he should follow.

“Let him go,” says Peter, reaching out to grip Bucky’s forearm.

Bucky scans his face before nodding, still uncertain but willing to stay with Peter.

“Stuff like this happen to you often?” he wants to know.

“No, never,” Peter responds looking a little shaken, “Tony’s going to freak. He always worries about this kind of thing.”

“Come on then,” Bucky says, grabbing Peter’s hand and starting in the direction of their building again, “let’s get home and talk to him.”

They hurriedly make their way back and head straight up to Peter and Tony’s.

Having been called by Peter on the way, the billionaire is already waiting for them, pacing the living room floor. Before Peter can even exit the lift, Tony pulls him into an embrace.

“You okay, baby?” he asks as he strokes the back of Peter’s head.

Peter returns the hug tightly, face tucked into Tony's shoulder, clearly still rattled.

“I’m all right,” he says into his husband's neck.

Maintaining the embrace, Tony keeps his hold on the younger man while turning his attention to Bucky.

“What happened exactly?” he asks without anger or frustration, only concern.

“We left the movie early,” Bucky begins, “and were walking back when I noticed this guy was following us. Clearly wasn't a PI or anything because he was pretty obvious about it. So, I confronted the guy and had Pete try and take a picture with his phone so we could find out who this creep is and what he wants.” 

“Good thinking,” Tony says before directing his attention back to Peter, “Will you send me the pics, babe, so I can find out who this guys is?”

“Okay,” Peter agrees, righting himself, “but I don’t know if there’s much to work with. I didn’t get a clear shot of his face.”

“That’s all right,” Tony responds, “it’s better than nothing.”

Looking Peter over again, Tony and Bucky can both tell he’s still thrown by what happened.

“Hey,” Tony says to him, running his hands up and down Peter’s arms in comfort, “you’re probably on overload after everything, huh? Why don’t you go upstairs and see the-” he cuts himself off, throwing a quick glance at Bucky before amending his thought, “why don’t you go upstairs and relax.”

Clearly understanding Tony’s unrevised meaning, Peter's demeanor softens as an unclouded smile comes across his face.

“Yeah, that sounds like a good idea,” Peter agrees, kissing Tony on the cheek, “will you be up soon?”

“Of course,” he answers, “I just want to talk to Bucky for a minute and then I’ll be up.”

Peter nods, then turns to embrace Bucky, leaving the soldier a little uncertain how to react. Sure, they are all adults and everyone is fully aware of the intimate details of their arrangement, but there has never been any open affection between him and Peter in Tony’s presence before. Bucky is unsure how the billionaire will respond.

Noticing the soldier’s stiffness, Peter pulls back to look at him. Realizing his reticence is because Tony is near, the young man grins and kisses Bucky fully on the mouth, completely unconcerned that his husband’s right there. Pulling away, he smirks at the slight bloom of pink on Bucky’s cheeks.

“You,” he says, tone teasingly accusatory, “have horrible taste in movies. But creepy-stalker-guy aside, I still had a good time. Just don’t forget that you still owe me one,” he adds pointedly.

Bucky’s ears heat up as he hears Tony chuckle, clearly cottoning on to what Peter meant.

“I’ll remember that,” the soldier responds awkwardly.

Still smiling, Peter says goodnight and heads upstairs.

As soon as he’s out of earshot, Tony steps closer, eyes blazing.

Ill at ease, Bucky straightens his posture, unsure what to make of Stark’s intense gaze.

“Thank you, Bucky,” the billionaire says ardently.

“Um, you’re welcome,” the younger man responds, taken aback.

“Seriously,” Tony continues, “I know that Peter is more than capable of taking care of himself, but something like what happened tonight is one of my biggest fears. Some psycho getting their hands on him and there not being anything I can do to stop it. But to know that you were there with him… Just. Thank you.”

Bucky can sense how deeply Tony means these words and feels something unspoken pass between them as he does. A silent sanction of sorts, like Bucky’s actions in caring for Peter have gained him Stark’s acceptance. 

“Uh, thanks, man,” comes the coarse response, Bucky feeling unprepared for the other man’s outpouring of sincerity, but feeling that he should be honest in return. “Look, I know it’s not the same thing, but I care about Peter and, whenever he’s with me, just know that I’ll always do everything that I can to make sure he comes home to you safe.”

At that, Tony stares into the soldier’s eyes. His gaze seeming to penetrate Bucky. He stares so long that the other man begins to feel his skin prickle under the scrutiny. Then, just like that, the gaze is broken.

“Good to know,” is all Tony says, intensity gone from his voice.

At that, they nod cordially to one another in farewell and Bucky heads for the lift to go home. However, before entering, he suddenly recalls an important detail.

“Hey, I just remembered something,” Bucky says as he turns back to Tony. “I didn’t want to say anything to Peter and freak him out anymore tonight, but when we were in the movie there was someone in the balcony with us, we didn’t see them at first, but I think whoever it was might be the same guy that was following us. It’s just a hunch, but if it’s the same person, they tailed us to the theater and then tracked us after we left.”

“Shit,” replies Tony.

“Yeah,” Bucky agrees, “I thought you’d want to know.”

“I’ll inform security in the morning,” Tony nods. “Thanks for telling me.”

“No problem,” Bucky says, again heading for the lift.

“Hey, just out of curiosity,” Stark calls out, “what movie did you see?”

“Lethal Weapon,” Bucky answers.

“Great movie,” Tony says, “fucking classic.”

“Tell that to your husband,” Bucky jokes back as they share a genuine smile at the kid’s expense.

As he gets in the elevator, Bucky keeps smiling as he thinks that, just maybe, he might have made a friend in Tony Stark tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mysteries are coming to light... Secrets are being hinted at... What does Bucky not know...? There is so much more to come, you guys don't even know!!! It's killing me that I'm keeping so much out of the tags to avoid spoilers, but it won't be long before the cat's out of the bag. I can't wait!!!
> 
> Thanks for kudos and comments, they feed my soul! XO


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Friday! Here's your scheduled update. Hope you enjoy!
> 
> This chapter was originally supposed to contain way more plot, but the sexy-times got really involved. So, enjoy this chapter of 90% smut.

“Pleeease,” Peter begs, pulling his best pouty face, “pretty please. With a cherry on top. This is outdated and boring…!”

“No,” Bucky says resolutely, “you can whine at me all you want to, the answer is no.”

They are snuggled up on the couch in the soldier’s living room attempting to finish a certain movie that was pleasantly, then unpleasantly interrupted the last time they tried to watch it. Peter isn’t happy, but Bucky is feeling smug because he really has no say in the matter; his apartment, his movie pick.

It’s been two weeks since the movie theater-slash-tailing incident. Neither Peter nor Bucky have had any run-ins since, but Tony had done some digging and discovered that Peter had been receiving some anomalous emails. Despite having an official SI account, the kid never checked his email, so he hadn’t seen them. They had started out innocuously enough, just asking questions — _How did you get such a prestigious internship without a degree? What’s the secret to your success?_ — but when they went unanswered the messages escalated — _You’re not worthy of what you have. You’ve stolen your place away from someone who deserves it. You’ll get what’s coming to you_. While it was unclear why, Peter was obviously the object of his aggression.

Stark had gone absolutely ballistic when the emails were discovered. It was Bucky’s understanding that several people had lost their jobs over them. He’d further been frustrated when the photos Peter had taken proved too unclear to turn up anything useful. Despite his outrage, whoever was behind this knew what they were doing, because the combined brain power of Tony Stark and Peter Parker still hadn’t been able to track him. He knew how to hide.

That’s how Peter came to be on Bucky’s couch this Sunday afternoon. Tony had to go out of town for a few days and, while he’d tried to get his husband to come along for his own peace of mind, Peter refused, stating his hatred of business trips as the reason. So, they had compromised and agreed that Bucky would keep an eye on Peter in Stark's absence. While the young man had spent most of his time at home, he’d checked in with Bucky regularly. He didn’t ask why, but it was clear that Peter preferred Bucky not spend time at his place and the older man tried not to let that bother him. Everyone deserved a space to call their own. But with a little light guilting about Tony’s concerns and the offering to cook for him, Bucky had gotten Peter to agree to spend the rest of the day at his place. The promise of homemade Pelmeni and Chicken Kiev going a long way.

Of course, the kid didn’t know that he was going to have to sit through take two of watching Bucky’s favorite movie when he agreed.

Changing tactic to get out of finishing the movie, Peter shifts on the couch until he’s turned to nip at Bucky’s neck.

“You know,” he whispers into his partner’s ear, “you still owe me after last time.”

“Oh, come on,” Bucky groans, attempting to fight the distraction and failing miserably, “that’s not fair, we’ve had sex, like, ten times since then.”

“‘S’not the same,” Peter replies against the soldier’s jaw, “tit for tat. You got yours, I want mine.”

Bucky can’t seem to speak, his snarky reply lost as his mind short circuits when his partner’s mouth finds that sweet spot just below his ear.

Blood leaving his brain and heading elsewhere, all Bucky can do is growl as he rolls over, trapping Peter beneath him and attacking his mouth.

Giggling in victory, Peter pushes on his chest to free his mouth.

“Playroom,” is all he says.

They bolt from the couch, chasing each other down the hallway, shedding clothes as they go.

Peter is just a little faster than Bucky and gets there first, he flicks the switch activating the cameras just as the other man barges through the door to grab him from behind and tackle him onto the bed.

Both naked, laughing, and panting, they wrestle, making a mess of the bed coverings until Bucky lets Peter pin him and straddle his hips.

“You know,” the young man says, a little out of breath, “I’ve been holding out on you.”

“Oh yeah,” challenges Bucky, raising up on his elbows, “about what?”

“Well, there's this thing I can do,” Peter answers with that oh-so-convincing expression of doe eyed innocence on his face, “where, if you follow instruction very carefully…”

Eyes full of fire, he pauses, placing both hands on Bucky’s chest to lean forward until hovering mere inches above him.

“...I can come, and come, and come.”

Bucky’s eyes grow to the size of saucers as his eyebrows shoot up and his prick starts to harden. He’d heard of guys being able to have multiple orgasms, but he thought it was like winning the lottery, nice to think about but not something he would ever get to experience himself.

“Seriously?” he croaks, voice suddenly low and raspy.

Peter nods, biting his lower lip.

“Fucking hell,” is all Bucky can say.

“Yeah,” Peter smirks, but there’s a seriousness to his face, “but you need to know that isn’t like they show you in porn, okay. It feels amazing, but you have to do exactly what I tell you, all right?”

“I’ll do whatever you say,” Bucky agrees.

Peter seems satisfied with his compliance, so they shuffle around until the young man is laying back atop a stack of pillows against the headboard, legs spread, slowly stroking his hardening cock. Bucky has grabbed the lube and is kneeling between his boyfriend’s legs, slick fingers opening him up.

“So, how many times can you come?” asks Bucky, voice husky, as he adds a second finger.

“Depends,” Peter answers, panting a little at the intrusion, “usually two or three. Sometimes I can go four. It’s almost too much wh- Shit.”

Bucky'd located his partner's prostate and pressed in gently. Seems Peter enjoyed that.

“God, that’s good, baby,” he praises, eyes falling closed as he keeps lazily rubbing his dick.

As Bucky continues to massage the young man’s prostate, he relaxes enough to add a third finger.

“Okay,” says Peter, voice shaking slightly, “I’m already pretty worked up, so I probably won’t make sense for much longer. Here’s what's going to happen: I won’t ejaculate when I come until the last time, so you’ll only feel the orgasm against your fingers, when it’s done, stop moving them for a minute but don’t-” he cuts off, panting outright now, having a hard time speaking, “pull them out. Just watch me to know when you can start back up again- _Fuck_.”

Fuck is right, Bucky’s already fully hard and leaking a little just from this. This is hot as hell.

“After I’ve come dry a couple of times,” Peter gasps, “I want you to put your dick in and fuck me until I finish. Don’t touch my cock unless I tell you, don’t take your hand out unless I tell you, don’t change your rhythm unless I tell you. Basically, just do what I tell you. Got it?”

Peter is already so caught up in sensation that he’s a little out of it, Bucky just hopes he can remember everything because he’s so turned on that he’s having a hard time focusing.

“Yeah, I got it” he says anyway.

“Good,” Peter huffs, “because I’m going to be totally lost in what’s going on, so you’re pretty much on your own,” he finishes, managing a smile.

The soldier brings his metal arm up to rest above Peter’s shoulder so he can lean over him for a better view of what’s about to happen.

“Ready?” he asks softly.

Peter nods.

Bucky looks down at Peter, taking in the extraordinary display beneath him. He’s so gorgeous like this, so open and uninhibited. For a moment, all Bucky can do is stare in wonder. 

Peter seems to mistake his revelry for apprehension because he reaches a hand up to grasp Bucky’s cheek and pulls him in for a gentle kiss. 

“It’s okay,” he whispers, “I want this.”

Bucky just nods, too caught up in the moment to say anything else. 

Peter reaches between his legs and grabs his wrist in a silent command to get to work. And that’s just what Bucky does. He starts circling the pads of his fingers around the walnut sized gland. 

“Mmm,” Peter hums in pleasure, “faster.”

Bucky picks up the pace. 

“Like this?” he wants to know. 

“Harder,” puffs Peter in response as a bead of sweat slowly drips down his neck, landing in the dip of his clavicle. 

Happy to oblige, Bucky increases the pressure of his fingers and is rewarded by one of the most amazing sights he’s ever seen. 

Peter is now totally lost in his pleasure. He’s begun to quake at the onslaught of sensation, erotic sounds pouring out of his mouth. To ground himself, the young man grasps Bucky forearm and presses his head against the cold metal there. 

“ _Ahhhh_ ,” he cries, “don’t stop, don’t stop, don’t stop,” he chants like a benediction as he starts to writhe. 

Suddenly, Peter’s body goes taught and his mouth falls open in a silent scream. Bucky feels his prostate pulse against his fingers as the first orgasm hits like a tidal wave. The young man shudders and drags his nails along the metal plates of the soldier’s arm in rapt ecstasy.

Just like Peter said, he doesn’t blow his load, his erection also doesn’t flag. Bucky has never seen anything this hot before. He’s panting from just watching it happen. 

As the pulses against his fingers die down, Bucky stills them. 

Peter is still shaking, the older man is concerned by how intensely. He disentangles his metal arms and uses it to caress Peter’s forehead. 

“Talk to me, baby,” he says, gently stroking his thumb across his boyfriend’s hairline, “tell me you’re okay.”

“Good,” Pete slurs back, eyes glazed, “‘m good. Don’t… stop.”

“God, you’re amazing,” is Bucky’s awed reply. 

At that, a dopey grin graces Peter blissed out face as he interlaces their fingers and squeezes Bucky’s artificial hand to let his partner know he’s ready to keep going. 

Hands still intertwined, Bucky’s flesh fingers begin circling again, attempting to keep the same pressure and rhythm as before. 

“Just like that,” Peter murmurs, barely above a whisper. 

Maintaining the motion, not more than ninety seconds go by before Bucky notices that Peter is shivering from head to toe again. Then, without warning, his head starts thrashing from side to side and suddenly Bucky feels the telltale pulses inside that mean Peter is coming again. 

Painfully hard, Bucky watches as Peter's entire body convulses as he rides the waves of euphoria coursing through him for the second time. 

As instructed, the soldier stops moving his fingers to give Peter a respite, but this time, still trembling all over, his boyfriend urgently grabs his wrist and shakes his head. 

“Keep going,” he wheezes out, body still shaking. 

Bucky blinks and stares for a second. Surely he misheard, Peter can’t-

“Now!” Peter rasps in command. 

Without his permission, Bucky’s hand resumes the movement all on its own. It seems his entire body is enraptured by what’s happening in front of him and wants more. 

By this point, Peter is so overstimulated that, almost instantly, his shaking intensifies as sounds of pleasure continuously escape his mouth and the flush of his sweat drenched skin travels all the way down to his neglected prick. 

This is far and away the most intense, most erotic, most intimate thing Bucky has ever done and he’s torn between wanting this moment to go on forever and desperately hoping it ends soon so he can find some relief for the pain of own arousal. 

As if on queue, Peter’s trembling reaches a new height, the entire bed is moving with him. Then, suddenly, he cries out, fingers digging into the sheets, back bowing, eyes rolling back as he reaches climax for the third time. Body convulsing through each intense contraction of his pleasure.

It’s too much for Bucky and, without thinking, he removes his hand from Peter’s body to reach down and grip the base of his own cock to stop himself from coming at the sight of his partner’s climax alone.

Peter is not happy with the loss of fullness and makes his feelings now.

“Get in,” he barks, “get your dick in me right now!”

There is so much wanton desperation coursing through the both of them that it’s simply understood that this isn’t going to be soft, gentle lovemaking. This is about filling a need and is going to be hard and fast.

The pair are shaking so hard that it takes Bucky a couple of tries to line up his cock, but on the third time he pushes all the way in without hesitation and immediately snaps his hips back and sets a punishing pace.

Thrusting with reckless abandon, Bucky looks down at Peter, despite the intensity the man’s body has just been through, he is looking up at his boyfriend's face with a look of pure hunger. Like he is just as wanton as the other man. God, that’s a face Bucky could fall in love with.

_Shit_ , that thought is all it takes to push Bucky over the edge, vision whiting out, sobbing as his hips jerk into Peter, coming harder than he’s ever come in his life. His entire body feeling his release.

As his hips jerk into the young man with the convulsions of his orgasm, each thrust nails his partner’s prostate and then Peter screams at the top of his lungs and arches his back all the way off the bed as his final orgasm overtakes him and rope after rope of come shoots from his dick with such force that it hits Bucky’s chest.

When Peter slumps back onto the bed, it’s clear that he’s so lost in his bliss that he’s blacked out.

Bucky collapses on top of him, no longer able to remain upright.

There is no telling how long they lay like that, the soldier draped over his boyfriend's prone body. Eventually Peter comes to and begins slowly carding his hand through Bucky’s short locks as Bucky caresses his hand along Peter’s ribs, each soothing the other as they come down.

When they’ve had enough time to regain normal breathing patterns and remember how to think again, Bucky realizes that he’s probably crushing his boyfriend and rolls off. Peter makes an unhappy sound at the loss of contact and leans over to lay his head atop Bucky’s chest, ignoring the mess between them.

“Peter,” whispers Bucky, breaking the peaceful silence, “that was… I don’t even know what to say.”

“Thought you’d like that,” the young man jokes, words still a little slurred, as he grins against Bucky’s chest.

“I’m serious, Pete,” Bucky says, looking down at the man’s face, “I’ve never done anything like that before. Just… thank you for trusting me with that.”

Peter glances up into Bucky’s eyes, looking thoughtful, and places a hand on his cheek.

“Thank you,” Peter responds after a moment, “for being someone I can trust.”

As Peter lays his head back down, he slowly drifts off to sleep, exhausted from the afternoon’s activities. Once he’s out, Bucky gently disentangles himself and, after carefully cleaning his partner up, heads for the shower.

Standing under the rainfall shower head, Bucky’s mind is buzzing with thought. The soldier has had a lot of sex in his time, but never has he experienced anything like what just happened, anything so deeply intimate with another person. The way Peter let him in and trusted him with such an intense experience is all new to Bucky. And he likes it. Likes the depth of connection that brought him closer to Peter. But therein lies the problem, the closer he gets to Peter, the closer he gets to the edge of precipice that he could easily fall from. Because he could so easily let himself fall for Peter, the married man who is deeply in love with his husband. 

Love. That’s a scary word. Scary because, at nearly thirty years old, Bucky’s never been in love before. He’s never let someone close enough for it to even be a possibility before. So, what happens if he lets Peter closer, lets himself fall, and gets his heart broken into a million pieces? Is it worth the risk? Bucky doesn’t know. All he does know is that he’s not willing to walk away.

Unable to think anymore, Bucky cuts the shower. As he finds his clothes and gets dressed he decides to let Peter sleep and heads for the kitchen. If there’s one thing he does know, it’s that cooking will clear your head. So that’s what he’s going to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to what actual male multiple orgasm is like! Different than you though, huh? But still super sexy. (Full disclosure: I don't have a penis, this is not firsthand knowledge, but I now have a *very* interesting google search history.)
> 
> So, the smut got intense. Just checking in to make sure it's not too intense for anyone, because some upcoming sexy-times are going to be even more intense. However, if that isn't what y'all are into, tell me now and I'll water it down for you. Are you okay with really intense sex scene? Comment below.
> 
> Comments, kudos, subscriptions always welcome. Thanks!!!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***Very small but direct reference to Behind Closed Doors in this chapter. If you haven’t read it, see end notes for clarification.
> 
> Smut-free chapter, but lots of interesting plot developments. You’re definitely going to want to read this because shit is about to get JUICY and you don’t want to miss out!

Cooking had always been a stress reliever for Bucky. Something about using his own two hands to create a meal to share with people felt so honest and uncomplicated for him. The perfect way to clear his mind. So, with too many thoughts about feelings currently rolling around inside his head, it felt good for Bucky to be back in the kitchen. The Pelmeni were boiled and drained, tossed in butter, just waiting for fresh dill. The potatoes were mashed and blended with sour cream and a hint of rosemary. The Chicken Kiev was in the oven with not long to go. And Bucky’s mind was definitely _not_ contemplating how easy it would be to fall in love with Peter.

As the man stood at the sink where he’d been scrubbing the same pot for entirely too long, he felt a pair of hands wrap around his waist.

“***Last time we were like this,” Peter mutters against his boyfriend’s back, “things got a little carried away.”

Bucky chuckles at the memory as he turns around to kiss Peter’s forehead, but can’t bring himself to look him in the eye. Peter has this ability to see directly into a person and cut through all the bull shit and Bucky’s afraid he’ll be able to see something in his eyes. 

“Dinner will be done in about ten minutes,” Bucky says, turning back to the dishes in the sink to hide.

“It smells amazing,” Peter tells him as he sits down at the bar to check his phone.

They fall into a companionable silence. Well, companionable on Peter’s end. Bucky is still feeling a little ill at ease, like he could use a buffer between him and Peter so he doesn’t accidentally give himself away.

“Hey,” Peter calls, drawing the other man out of his thoughts, “looks like Tony’s trip got cut short, he’s almost home. Do you care if he joins us for dinner?”

“Um,” Bucky says, totally caught off guard.

He doesn’t really care if Tony has dinner with them, and he’d just told himself it would be good to have a distraction between him and Peter. But is Stark as the distraction a good idea? Could he somehow sniff out what Bucky was feeling? 

“Bucky…?” Peter inquires after a little too much time has passed.

“Yeah, sorry, just… thinking if we had enough food for three,” Bucky quickly lies, “we should be good, though. It’s fine.”

“Okay,” Peter says in a way that conveys he caught the other man’s fib but isn’t going to call him out on it.

“Tell Tony to bring some wine,” Bucky adds as a distraction, “a dry white. I have some here, but his will be fancier.”

By the time the chicken is done and a salad is thrown together, Tony has arrived, Sauvignon Blanc in hand. After a cursory greeting -- and much more intimate greeting for Peter -- he surprises Bucky by coming into the kitchen and poking around in the various pots and pans.

“Well done,” he says, sounding impressed.

“You cook?” Bucky asks, genuinely curious.

“Yep,” Tony replies, “the guy who raised me taught me how. Jarvis.”

“Wait, like, doorman Jarvis?”

“That’s his son,” Tony says with a touch of melancholy, “Edwin Sr. passed away several years ago, but Jr. and I kept in touch. He actually works for me, just doubles as the doorman here.”

“Huh,” is all Bucky can say to that.

“But his father taught me my way around the kitchen,” the billionaire continues, tone brighter, “and I’m still not at all convinced that Peter didn’t marry just because of my eggplant parmigiana.”

“I can neither confirm nor deny the validity of that statement,” Peter interjects mischievously.

“Who would have guessed that Tony Stark could cook his own meals?” Bucky teases, “Pretty sure the whole world assumes you have every meal hand delivered by god himself.”

“I thought the whole assumed I _was_ god himself,” Tony deadpans.

“No, they just assume you bribed god to get you where you are,” Bucky quips back.

To his surprise, Tony genuinely laughs at that. Bucky had never heard his laugh before, it was nice.

Food ready, they move things to the dining area, Tony again surprising Bucky by helping him transport the various dishes to the table. This seems to be a norm for him, because Peter has seated himself at the table as though accustomed to food being brought to him by his husband. Getting a glimpse of the real Tony is proving very interesting.

Dinner progresses nicely with conversation flowing easily between the three. Unexpectedly, it’s Bucky and Tony that do most of the talking, laughing and joking about being older than Peter, and comparing stories about things they experienced before the younger man was even born. Peter’s a good sport about it, tossing in jokes of his own about the other two being old and over the hill.

As they finish up with dinner and move on to dessert (a cake Bucky picked up at Zabar’s), conversation has moved on, Bucky is telling Tony how he learned to make Russian food from his mother, who learned it from her own Russian mother when Peter’s phone rings. He steps down the hall to answer and when he comes back into the room he looks slightly perturbed.

“I’ve got to go upstairs for a minute,” he says, speaking mostly to Tony, “looks like Project One needs some attention right now.”

“Is everything okay?” Tony asks, seeming concerned himself.

“I think so,” Peter tells him, “but I’ll go make sure.”

“Do you want me to come with you?” Stark offers.

“No, no,” Peter waves him off, “we’ll be fine. I’ll let you know if it’s anything to worry about.”

“Okay,” Tony acquiesces.

Peter heads back upstairs, his husband staring off at him as he goes.

“Project One?” Bucky asks, curious because he’d heard the name before.

“Top secret,” Tony responds, expression guarded, “the most important thing Pete and I are part of.”

“Mm,” Bucky hums, understanding that a lot was left out of that answer, “hope everything’s okay, then,” he adds anyway.

“I’m sure it will be,” Tony says with a smile, seeming to appreciate the soldier’s concern.

“So, I’ve been dying to ask you,” he continues, completely changing direction, “how is it being with Peter?”

Bucky, who had just taken a sip of wine, does an actual spit take when he hears that.

“Wow,” he says in shock, wiping his face with his napkin, “you really don’t beat around the bush, do you?”

“There’s no need to when it comes to Pete,” Tony replies nonchalantly, “it’s part of his charm. He has nothing to hide.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” Bucky agrees, “he’s amazing like that, so free and open. Especially when it comes to sex. It’s like that’s part of how he expresses himself. If I’m honest, I'm kinda jealous of that part of him.” 

“It’s one of the things that drew me to him,” Stark grants with a nod, “and it’s certainly what kept me coming back.”

“Because he let you watch?” Bucky asks, feeling bold, “Peter told me how you two met,” he adds.

Tony sighs as he leans back in his chair, thinking.

“It was more than that,” he finally says, “he was the first person who ever understood why. That was able to understand me on that level without even trying. See, I've spent my whole life in the spotlight. For as long as I can remember everyone has always been watching me; every step, every choice, every venture, every fuck up, every relationship, every thing I do, every move I make. Constantly being under that much scrutiny was almost enough to break me. 

“Until I met Natalia. She’s the madame who runs the club that Peter worked, but she and I met years before that. She was still an escort back then. We were at this party and she was on the arm of a slimey, old, bald associate of my father’s, so I clocked her as a pro the minute I saw them together. We got to know each other that night, eventually spent some time together traveling around and… I guess you could say she was the impetus for my sexual awakening. Yeah, I’d had plenty of sex before her -- plenty of really good sex, actually -- but I’d never really explored _me_. What really took me to another level. What existed beyond just sticking my dick into a wet pussy. You know, before my time with her, I’d never even been with another man? I didn’t even fully understand that there were more than two sexual orientations. Anyway, my time with her was when I experienced voyeurism for the first time and it was a release like I’d never felt before. It didn’t matter that I wasn’t actively a part of the sex. To see someone else at that moment, to be the one that was watching instead of being watched… it was transcendent for me. After that, I never looked back. 

“But all that, everything I just told you? I don’t think even I understood it until Peter. He took one look at me and got it. From the first time we were together, he saw that part of me and accepted it just like that. Never once did he make me feel ashamed or weird. He actually empowered me to explore things deeper. That’s what really blew my mind about him. Here’s this 19 year old kid who just saw through to the deepest levels inside of me better than anyone ever had. I didn’t care how old he was, didn’t care his history, I just knew I needed him in my life.

“That’s what led to this,” he says, gesturing to cameras around the room with his wine glass, “I never would have been brave enough to dream up something like this if it wasn’t for Peter. But he dreamed it up and made it happen. And somehow it unexpectedly brought us closer together. I guess that’s Pete for you, though, always unexpected.”

As the conversation lulls, they both stare into space for a moment, lost in thought; the older in memories, the younger in everything he’d just heard. Bucky’d never expected the billionaire to be this open and is shocked by the intimate details Tony willingly shared with him.

“Is he what you expected?” Tony finally asks, turning the tables.

“Not really sure I have an answer to that,” Bucky says after a pause, “I didn’t know what to expect at all heading into this, but if I’d tried to imagine it - no, he definitely would not have been what I expected.

“This is all so…” he struggles to find the right words, wanting to be open with Tony in return. “I don’t know. It’s like, I’m this Army guy, right, who spent more than twenty years in the closet. And, yeah, now I’m out and proud and all, but that’s brand new. Before, with DADT, I had to hide everything because everything was a risk. I had to put my whole career on the line just for a chance to get my rocks off. I never knew who to trust or if this time would be the time I got found out and it all went down the drain. It never stopped me from chasing dick, but this thing, the trust and acceptance - hell, just not being on edge about having sex is new for me, let alone the rest of it.

“If I’m totally honest,” Bucky adds after a moment of contemplation, “before I met you and Peter, I kind of assumed that people just had the sex they had. That you’d meet someone, be into each other, take them home, pull out your best moves, and that’s that. That whole sexual awakening thing you were talking about? Maybe shit like that’s just not something that all of us get to have, you know. Even if we wish we could.”

“So you never got the chance to explore your own sexuality?” Tony asks.

“I always wanted to,” Bucky answers. “I mean, I always knew I was gay, but beyond that, I had to be so careful about who and when and where I hooked up that I just never felt safe enough for anything like that.

“What’s it like?” Bucky asks after a thoughtful pause, curiosity getting the better of him.

“It’s like finding neverland,” the older man eventually responds with a faraway smile, “or utilizing Maxwell’s Equations for the first time or seeing in Technicolor when everything’s always been black and white.”

“Sounds pretty great.”

“Great doesn’t even begin to cover it,” Tony explains, “the best way I know to describe it is -- most times when you come it’s like a firecracker going off, this amazing little explosion, but when you really explore and find your thing, what really sets you off... it’s like the fucking Fourth of July.”

Bucky nods, enraptured by the deep timbre of Tony’s voice.

“When you go through a sexual awakening, when you let all your walls down enough to delve into it, it’s like you find the way to make everyday the Fourth of July.”

“I’ve always liked Independence Day,” Bucky says wistfully.

“You serve this country, right?” Tony queries, eyes a little dark. “I think that means you deserve a full fireworks display every time.”

Bucky looks at the other man and feels an unfamiliar intensity flowing between them. He's not sure what to make of it.

“Besides, you’re still young,” Tony says lightly in an obvious attempt to break the building tension, “you’re only a couple of years older than I was when I met Nat. You’ve got nothing but time to do all the things we talked about. And you’ve got the perfect partner to do it with.”

Bucky is totally taken off guard by that last part.

It never even occurred to him that Tony would be okay with him and Peter deepening their sexual relationship. Or that he would actively encourage it. But moreover than that, Bucky was trying to stop himself from getting too close to Peter and now it’s being suggested that he do exactly the opposite.

“Well?” Tony prompts at Bucky’s lack of reply.

“I don't know,” he says honestly.

“Listen, Buck,” Tony asserts.

Bucky starts because he definitely should not be feeling a little thrill run through him at Tony's familiarity in calling him 'Buck.' What the hell was that about?

“Peter really is the perfect person to explore with,” the billionaire was saying when Bucky could pay attention again, “take it from me,” he finishes with a sultry wink.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” he finally responds, because he really doesn’t know what else to say.

“I’m always right,” Tony grins, crossing his arms.

“Only because you pay everybody around you to tell so,” Bucky can't help but tease.

“I’m hurt,” Tony replies, playfully offended, “I thought my omniscience was genuine.”

“No, your ego is genuine,” Bucky claps back.

Something about the combination of wine, their unspoken tension, and the truly surreal direction the evening’s conversation had taken causes them both to find that funnier than it should be and crack up laughing. 

Tony’s eyes look really nice when he’s laughing, Bucky thinks.

Just then the lift dings, signifying Peter’s return. “What’s so funny?” he wants to know.

“Ehh,” Tony sighs as his and Bucky’s laughter dies down, “you had to be here.”

Peter looks back and forth between the two men. As he stares a knowing smirk comes across on his face, like he sees something the others are missing.

“Everything okay?” Tony inquires, averting his eyes from Bucky.

“Yeah,” Peter responds, still grinning, “something new came up, nothing bad, just some... growing pains.”

Tony frowns at that and Bucky feels uncomfortable, realizing that he shouldn’t feel as frustrated as he does by not knowing what they’re talking about. He understands top secret, classified shit better than anyone, so why does this irk him so much?

“We should get back upstairs, then,” Tony says, rising to his feet.

“Thank you for dinner, Bucky, it was great,” Peter says as he kisses him on the cheek in farewell.

“Yeah, thanks, Buck,” Tony agrees, moving towards him.

As the older man closes in, he claps a hand on Bucky’s shoulder and Bucky can’t help that some unnamed recess of his mind is a little disappointed that Tony didn’t lean in and kiss him too. 

Once they’ve gone, Bucky just sits there, mind reeling.

“I am so screwed,” he groans aloud to no one, “I think I'm in love with my boyfriend and I might have a crush on his husband. What the fuck…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***Behind Closed Doors opens with Peter at the sink as Bucky comes up behind him and initiates some very enthusiastic kitchen floor sex 
> 
> Please leave comments and kudos, they feed my soul. Thank you!!!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for updating so late tonight. The full moon in Aries has really been kicking my ass and I've been so exhausted that I had a hard time getting this together. That being said, I hope you like it!

The grey double doors of the Conference Room A burst open as a sea of SHIELD members gleefully depart the world's longest briefing. Agents, operatives, and officers are rapidly heading in different directions, all thrilled to be escaping the monotony of the last three and a half hours. 

Bucky is the last to exit the room and leans against the opposite wall next to a decorative ficus to wait for Steve, who had worked himself into a conversation with his girlfriend’s fellow agents. His best friend was laying on that ‘good old Brooklyn boy’ charm pretty thick, trying to impress them. Having no interest in joining in the small talk, Bucky pulls his phone (the new, secure Stark Phone that was a complimentary part of the whole Peter package) out of his pocket for something to do and sees several unread texts, but one from Tony catches his eye. 

In the week or so since dinner at Bucky’s, they’d become significantly friendlier with each other. Tony had joined Bucky and Peter for lunch once or twice and they’d started texting back and forth, too. This message was different, though, it had a video file attached.

Tony: Happy Fourth of July, Sergeant

DO NOT OPEN AT WORK

Hope you enjoy

Bucky is confused at first because it's late March, but then it dawns on him. Holy shit! 

He jolts away from the wall and looks around to make sure no one is watching. Not that there would be anything for them to see, but still, he feels the need to guard the message from prying eyes.

As he looks around he sees that Steve is still deep in conversation. Screw waiting around for him, it’s four fifty-five, that’s close enough to quitting time. So, Bucky shoves his phone back in his pocket and makes his way for the nearest elevator to head home.

.o0o.

The soldier can’t stop pacing, phone clenched in his right hand. His nervous-excited energy keeps propelling him back and forth across the bright white floors of the playroom, trying to decide if he’s brave enough to do this or not.

Bucky was on his own for the night, so when he’d gotten home about an hour ago he had tried to force himself to act like there wasn’t one thing and one thing only consuming his thoughts. The man made himself sit down and eat the lackluster ramen he’d picked up from the noodles place around the corner while attempting to watch some TV, but he was so distracted, he couldn’t have said if he’d been watching the news or cartoons. Finally, he’d given up attempting diversion, hopped in the shower, then made straight for the playroom.

While Bucky didn’t know the details of what he would find in the video Tony had sent, he knew damn well what it contained. And therein lies the problem that has him pacing in indecision. Should he turn on the…

“Fuck it,” Bucky says out loud.

Because, god damn it, he’s a decorated soldier, he’s part of Special Forces, he’s had his fucking arm blow off in the middle of a war zone for Christ's sake! He could do this!

Decision made, he stops pacing and reaches over, resolutely flicking the switch activating the cameras before making his way to the bed. 

He has nothing to hide. If he gets to watch Tony, Tony gets to watch him watching. Tit for tat.

Bucky hadn’t bothered to put a shirt on after his shower, so he lays back against the headboard clad only in grey sweats. 

Once settled, he pulls up the text and finally, _finally_ clicks the video.

What he sees when it opens instantly has him going hard.

The screen shows a room very similar to the one Bucky was currently occupying, but this room is much larger with a color scheme of reds and golds. The focus of the frame is to the left side of the room, on a red chaise [lounge](https://www.tantrachair.com/buy-now/) that's oddly shaped, like a guitar or violin cut in half lengthwise. The unique curvature seems to lend itself to facilitating a variety of sexual positions -- clearly what it was intended for -- and sprawled across the arc of the lounge is a very naked, very flushed, very aroused Tony Stark.

It's clear from the state of Tony’s dick that he and Peter had been at it for a while. The billionaire's cock was gorgeous -- around average in length, but one of the thickest Bucky had ever seen, perfectly proportioned, with prominent glans and a slight leftward lean -- but it's not the beauty of the dick that catches Bucky’s attention - no, it's what seemed to be _protruding_ from it. At the tip of the erect penis jutted a quarter-sized metal loop.

_Holy shit_ , _that’s a sound_! 

The soldier isn’t exactly naive, he’s heard of the practice before, he may have even been interested enough to do a little cursory research into it for his own erotic curiosity. But he’d sure as hell never seen it happen right before his very eyes. And just one glimpse has his dick going from half-hard to fully erect damn near instantly.

Watching, Peter was running his fist up and down his husband’s length and the presence of the sound within it was sending the older man into a state of otherworldly bliss.

“God damn,” Bucky groans, hissing as he frees his own sensitive arousal from the confines of his sweatpants.

“You like that, baby?” Peter asked Tony on screen. All the other man seemed capable of in return was an enthusiastic nod.

At the affirmation, Peter, from his position kneeling on a cushion in front of his husband, reached for the loop and began to ever-so-gently fuck the thin steel [rod](https://www.amazon.com/ZJYfacai-Stainless-Stimulate-Masturber-Sunglasses/dp/B08X3YXN8F/ref=pd_sbs_1?pd_rd_w=JxHj4&pf_rd_p=527ea27c-adf6-4b67-9c5f-265eb29e0622&pf_rd_r=37K6FGKYV2ZG6CJTE2GK&pd_rd_r=60dd215a-ce9f-4fdc-8098-55aa44c40a7c&pd_rd_wg=05TPm&pd_rd_i=B08X3YXN8F&psc=1) in and out of Tony’s urethra with his fist still firmly around the outside of the cock. The rod itself had subtle fluting along the stem, like soft metallic waves to heighten the experience.

“Jesus Christ,” Bucky vocalizes as he reaches for the nearby lube and begins to stroke himself in tandem with Peter’s on screen motions

Tony grunted in enthusiasm at the increased sensation as he started to shake in pleasure, the veins along his neck straining.

“You’re doing so good, honey,” Peter praised.

Bucky’s completely enthralled by the video. So enthralled, he worries he’ll end up climaxing before the climax, so he slows his hand.

On screen, it seemed Peter had Tony’s eyes locked on his and they were doing that married couple thing where they communicated without using words. Whatever question had passed between them, Tony seemed to have given the nonverbal okay because that’s when Peter resheathed the sound and resumed working his fist up and down his husband cock. Then he leaned forward and started to work Tony’s balls with his mouth. He focused on one side, then the other, hollowing out his cheeks for maximum suction. 

Bucky, without thinking, turns on his side and props his phone in the pillows so he can use his now free metal hand to start fondling his own balls, mimicking what he’s watching.

“Shit, baby, I’m getting close,” Tony managed to grit out.

“Mmm,” Peter hummed against his balls, sucking more enthusiastically.

Tony seemed to have reached some sort of transcendent state of pleasure, because his body didn’t just shake anymore, it vibrated. As sweat dripped down the pleasing patch of dark hair on his surprisingly sculpted, scarred chest, his eyes unfocused and rolled back into his head, but his breathing remained steady and even in practiced regulation.

The other man's pleasure is getting Bucky desperate, he is so hard his dick is positively weeping precome. He's drenched in sweat and aches to speed up his hand and finally find some relief, but there’s no way he’s going to let himself finish before Video Tony. This is way too fucking hot for that.

Onscreen, Peter must have picked up on another nonverbal queue, because he pulled back, releasing Tony’s balls from his mouth as he and his husband locked eyes. In a well choreographed dance, Peter released Tony’s cock as the other man took himself in hand and stroked. The older man reached out his other hand and interlaced his fingers with Peter’s, gripping his hand so tightly their knuckles turned white. Their eyes never unlocking, Peter grasped the end of the sound and resumed gently fucking it in and out.

Tony's body somehow ceased vibrating as he entered some new level of intensity. The ferocity of the eye contact the men maintained became tangible, like the connection between the two could be felt throughout the room.

It was strong enough that Bucky can feel it through the footage and it takes his breath away. He's never seen the two men like this before and, honestly, it feels so intimately personal that he finds he has to look away from the screen for a moment. It’s too much.

“Tell me when,” Peter said softly.

Bucky’s eyes can't help but move back to his phone, he can't miss this part.

Tony's face was a ruddy mask of blissed-out pleasure as he leaned forward and pressed his forehead against Peter’s, still gripping his hand for dear life. The older man wordlessly nodded and picked up the pace stroking his cock as Peter slowly pulled out the rod.

As the sound left his urethra, unable to stop himself, Tony broke eye contact, eyes clamping closed, leaning into Peter as his body was overcome by an orgasm so mind blowingly powerful that his body seized from head-to-toe in rhythmic convulsions of pleasure.

“ _Ahhhh_ ,” escaped his mouth in a guttural cry of ecstasy.

Through the forcefulness of Tony’s climax, he and Peter had kept their hands clasped and foreheads pressed together to ground one another. Now the younger man reached his other hand up to tenderly stroke his husband's face through his aftershocks.

“I love you,” Peter breathlessly whispered, voice rough with emotion. “That was amazing. _You’re_ amazing.”

And that's all it takes for Bucky to blow. At those intimate words of affection, Bucky comes dizzyingly hard, crying out as he curls into a ball, ropes of spend painting his own hand.

Dazed, he lays panting until he realizes the video has ended and his phone screen has gone black. He just stays there for a long time, staring at the black screen, thinking about what he just saw, what had been shared with him. He wants that, damnit. He wants that level of trust and intimacy. Bucky didn’t know how badly he wanted it until he saw it with his own eyes.

Now the question is; is it something he can have? 

.o0o.

Bucky shifts at his desk, uncomfortable from sitting in the same position too long. Unfocused and fidgety, he is rereading the same email for the dozenth time but still doesn’t know what it’s about. 

After last night’s escapades, the man is feeling all over the place. Between the smoking hot sex tape, the jerk off session, and the realization that he wants what Peter and Tony have, it’s no wonder that Bucky’s fourteenth readthrough of that same email is still unsuccessful.

Giving it up as a bad job, he snaps his laptop closed. He needs to take a break and get his head on straight.

“I’m going to go stretch my legs,” Bucky tells Steve as he rises to his feet.

“Okay, see you in a few,” Steve replies, glancing up from his own computer screen.

Bucky makes for the door, thinking he might stop at the vending machine and see if a thoroughly unhealthy snack will help him through the rest of the day when he’s stopped by his phone buzzing in his pocket.

Sighing in annoyance, he reaches for it without looking at the caller ID.

“Barnes,” Bucky answers unenthusiastically.

“Bucky, it’s Pepper,” says the voice on the other end. Ms. Potts sounds distracted, stressed, and Bucky wonders if she realizes she just referred to herself by first name.

“What’s wrong?” 

“We need you to come to Tony’s office straight away,” she answers, hanging up without giving any more information.

Bucky stands there for a second, stunned. Tony's office was on the ninety-third floor and no one outside of the upper echelon _ever_ went to his office. If Bucky was being called up there, it wasn’t good news.

“Everything okay, Buck?” Steve asks, interrupting his thoughts.

“I don’t know, I just got called up to Stark’s office,” he answers honestly.

“Wow.”

“Yeah,” Bucky says, voice concerned, before realizing he might give too much away and changing his tone. “But it’s probably just something about security. I better go find out.”

“Alright,” Steve says, waving him off.

Making his way to the nearest lift and heading for the building’s top floors, Bucky's mind started racing over what might be going on. 

Was Peter okay? Was this about Tony? Had someone been hurt? Had crazy-movie-theater-guy showed up again? It puts Bucky on edge that he doesn’t know yet. 

There is also another smaller, quieter, not so self-assured voice inside his head wondering if this might have something to do with last night. Maybe Tony wasn’t okay with what Bucky had done. 

As the elevator doors open, Bucky shrugs off his insecurities and steps off. He finds himself in a large, posh, open reception area. There's a large conference room encased with walls of glass to the right and an unmanned reception counter running along the opposite wall with an impressive set of double doors behind it. 

While taking in the space, one of the double doors opens and Ms. Potts steps out to meet him. “Thank you for getting here so quickly, Bucky, come on in,” she says

Making their way inside, the soldier looks around and sees exactly the type of extravagant, luxurious office one would expect to belong to the world’s most notable billionaire. The signature wall of windows lines behind Tony’s gargantuan steel and glass desk, bookshelves and another smaller set of double doors line the wall to the left, with a black leather couch and two matching chairs along the right. Bucky is surprised to see Jarvis and a brown haired man with an affable face that he didn’t recognize seated on the couch. But no Tony in sight.

Ms. Potts steps over to the set of doors along the opposite wall and sticks her head in to call for the man in question.

As soon as he enters the room, it’s clear that Tony is upset, it’s written all over his face. Nonetheless, years of business acumen and professionalism win over as he begins to speak.

“Gentlemen,” he nods in greeting, motioning for Bucky to take a seat in one of the chairs.

“Buck, you know Jarvis from the building,” Tony says, taking the other chair as Ms. Potts leans against the arm, ever-present tablet in hand.

Bucky nods, tipping his head to the kindly Englishman.

“And this is Happy Hogan,” the billionaire continues, gesturing to the other unknown man. "He’s our Project One specialist. Hap, this is Bucky Barnes.”

The other man, Happy, tilts his head, a little uncertain at the title he’d just been called, but quickly composes himself. “Pleased to meet you,” he says, reaching out to shake the soldier’s hand.

“I mentioned before that Jarvis works for me,” Tony reminds Bucky, “he’s actually Peter’s security detail. Pete doesn’t like being surrounded by a bunch of meatheads, so we compromised, and Jarvis keeps an eye on him but makes sure he has plenty of space at the same time.”

Bucky looks skeptically at the fifty-something man, unconvinced that he could provide much in the way of protection.

“Former SAS, black belt in Jiu-Jitsu, and white level in Muay Thai,” Jarvis says with a smile, nonplussed by the other man’s assessment.

Impressive, Bucky thinks, raising his eyebrows. He’d clearly underestimated the old fellow. 

Tony ignores their interaction and keeps right on going. “You’re all here because you need to be made aware that, even though we haven’t heard from him in a while, things have escalated with Peter’s stalker. Today he sent more threats, and photographs to back them up.”

This information makes Bucky’s blood boil. He doesn’t know who this guy is, but he knows he’s going to make the son of a bitch regret the day he threatened Peter Parker.

“I’ve talked things over with Peter and he has agreed to increased security. From now on, he doesn’t go anywhere alone until this creep is caught. For now we’ve decided to keep the authorities out of it, the less they know the better until we have more to go on." Looking to Hogan, Tony says, “Hap, Peter will go over details with you later at the apartment. We’re going to put a lot of protocols in place for- Project One. We’ll have to tighten things up considerably." Turning to the older man, the billionaire continues, “Jarvis, for the time being we are going to pull you off the front desk. I want you to become Peter’s shadow until this is over. He’s not happy about it, but he promised me he would cooperate.

"I don't know how long it will take to track this guy down, but I know that with all of us on this we will find this nut job and keep my family safe. Any questions?”

The other two men clarify some details and duties, getting everything squared away before they both exit, presumably to return to their duties. Ms. Potts also takes her leave to do whatever it is she does of a day. And that leaves Bucky alone with Stark and unsure why. He doubts he’s going to like the reason. 

Tony sighs, “Follow me. There’s something else you need to know.” 

They head for the other set of doors to the right. Entering, Bucky is surprised by what he sees. This space is much smaller and homier, made up of a combined office-slash-lab, and a relaxed seating area. The decor is much more laid back and eclectic. This space reflects the real Tony, where the rest of what he's seen reflects The Tony Stark.

As Bucky takes in his surroundings, Tony steps over the significantly smaller desk in the corner and quickly began to stuff some things into a drawer, things he obviously didn’t want the Sergeant to see. They looked to be picture frames.

Huh, Bucky thinks, what’s that all about?

Tony sees that he's noticed and a look passes between them, both silently agreeing not to say anything. For now.

“What else do I need to know, Tony?” Bucky asks.

“I didn’t think it would be right to share this with the other guys, but you have a right to know,” Tony says, picking up a manila folder from the desk. “This is what that psycho sent today.”

Handing the folder to Bucky, the younger man opens it and gets a sick feeling in his stomach. They've been followed a lot more than he realized. It’s a series of images of him and Peter taken from a variety of outings. There’s the two grabbing hot dogs on their way to the museum, Bucky holding the door for Peter as they exit a little Italian place, another of them kissing lightly while they wait at a crosswalk, but the last few... the last few photos are taken through a night vision lens and show very clear images of Peter going down on Bucky in the balcony of the movie theater.

“Shit,” Bucky whispers.

“Buck, I promise you,” Tony says vehemently, “I will do everything within my considerable power to make sure these don’t get out. Not just for Peter,” he adds softly.

At that, Bucky looks Tony in the eye and that same unfamiliar intensity he felt before flares between them. As he stares, the soldier can feel the sincerity of Tony’s words and knows he means them with a depth beyond just protecting Bucky’s career or public image. Not trusting himself to speak, all he can do is nod in response.

Needing a distraction to lighten things up, Bucky glances around and catches a photo on the shelf behind Tony. Clearly this picture didn’t need to be hidden, so he steps over to take a close look.

The photo looks to have been taken on their wedding day on the front porch of a picturesque log cabin surrounded by a beautiful lake in the woods. However, the focal point of the picture is Tony and Peter, standing side by side in matching linen suits and beaming smiles. They are flanked on either side by Happy, Ms. Potts, Jarvis, a handsome black man in an Air Force uniform and a beautiful older woman with dark hair and an arm around Peter’s shoulder. 

It’s a lovely, joyful photo, but what draws Bucky’s eye is Ms. Potts -- specifically her midsection -- because she appears to be _very_ pregnant.

Confused, Bucky points to the picture and cocks an eyebrow. “I didn’t know she had kids,” he says.

“She doesn’t,” Tony answers. “She was a surrogate for some friends who weren’t able to start a family on their own. Pep has always said that her career is the most important thing to her, she’s never had any interest in having a partner or a family. But she’s got a big heart and a functioning uterus, so she agreed to help them out.”

“Wow, that was a really selfless thing for her to do.” As a gay man who has always dreamed of being a father, Bucky is truly touched by her altruistic actions. He hopes someday he might find a friend willing to do the same for him.

“That’s Pepper for you,” Tony jokes lightly. “And _that’s-_ ” he continues, pointing to the officer standing next to him “-a gorgeous specimen of male known as Colonel James Rhodes. My honey bear, boo boo, Coco Puff, AKA my best man and very best friend.”

Bucky chuckles, both at the ridiculousness of what Tony said and his compulsive need to break the sentimental moment.

It’s nice being here with Tony, getting to see him at ease in his own space, but as the soldier glances at the clock on the wall, he realizes he has to get going.

“I should probably get back to the office,” Bucky sighs, a little awkwardly. He’s still unsure how to navigate the changing waters between him and Tony.

“All right." The billionaire escorts him back through to the main office and goes to open the door for him but pauses with his hand on the doorknob. “About last night...” he says suggestively, stopping Bucky in his tracks.

The younger man is completely taken off guard and not at all sure what to say to that.

“I enjoyed the fireworks,” Tony tells him with dark, intense eyes.

With that, he opens the door and ushers Bucky back into the still empty reception area.

The soldier gives Tony a smile that’s a little on the dirty side as he heads for the elevator. He can feel the other man’s eyes glued to his ass as he walks away, so he puts a little extra pep in his step.

Entering the lift, he sees that Tony is still looking at him, eyes turned hungry.

“Can’t wait for the next display,” the billionaire calls, grinning at Bucky as the doors slide closed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally Peter/Tony smut!!!
> 
> Let me just say, the amount of research I did into male urethral sounding is obnoxious and I will never not know that information now. To anyone who engages in sounding, hats off to you, intrepid soul! You take your pleasure seriously and I salute you.
> 
> Any suggestions for other kinks you all would like to see are welcome. 
> 
> As always, comments and kudos give me life. It makes me immeasurably happy to hear your opinions on this story. Thanks!


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter wound up significantly angstier than originally intended but I'm loving that about it. Hope you do too!
> 
> TW: This chapter contains the story of the loss of a childhood pet. Nothing graphic or disturbing, but I cried writing it, so I thought a gentle warning was in order.

Bucky blinks. He looks around, unsure of where he is, surroundings fuzzy somehow. 

He’s dripping sweat. His whole body drenched in it. 

Must be at the gym, he thinks.

Blinking rapidly to focus, the soldier’s environment slowly becomes clearer, turquoise tile emerging all around.

No, I’m in the shower at the gym, he realizes.

Bucky’s not covered in perspiration, he’s wet, standing under a stream of water.

I don’t remember coming here, he muses, when did I get here?

Confused and disoriented, he leans his head against the cool tile in front of him trying to concentrate.

Maybe I came with Peter, he wonders.

“There you are, handsome,” comes a deep, sultry voice behind him.

Peter’s voice isn’t deep… 

Warm, callused hands snake around his waist.

Peter’s doesn’t have calluses… 

A trail of bristly kisses is lavished across his shoulders.

Peter doesn’t have a beard… 

“Been waiting for you,” the voice says in his ear.

A rough palm begins to caress his rapidly filling member.

“You don’t know how long I’ve wanted to do this,” the voice continues.

Bucky gasps, feeling a hard, soapy cock enter the space between his thighs.

“I’ve been thinking about this since the first time I saw you.”

The hand around his dick and the cock between his thighs set a rhythm that has the soldier panting.

“Do you know when I first saw you?’

Bucky nods, so lost in the moment that he can’t speak.

“That’s right, the first time I laid eyes on you, you were fucking  _ someone _ in my kitchen floor.”

The hand and thrusts quicken. He’s starting to shake with need.

“Did he make you come?”

Bucky shakes his head yes.

“Am I going to make you come?”

He nods again, moaning in desperation.

“Earn it.”

The hand stops, the dick stills.

Bucky chokes out a frustrated sob.

“Say my name,” is whispered against his ear.

The hand resumes at a furious, nearly painful pace.

The hips restart, slamming into his backside with punishing force.

“Say it!,” the voice growls as teeth bite into his neck and he feels warmth spread between his thighs.

“Tony!” Bucky cries out, finally reaching the pinnacle as he comes so hard his whole body jerks and-

Gasping, Bucky sits bolt upright, disoriented, frantically whipping his head around in an attempt to figure out where he is and what’s going on. The familiarity of his surroundings finally sink in; he’s in his apartment, in his room, in his bed, tangled in the sheets, panting, covered in sweat, and - he looks down - he’d just come in his boxer briefs.

Scrubbing a hand across his face, he angrily slumps back down on his pillow. 

Panting at the ceiling, he lets his body come back down to earth as his mind still races.

“Shit,” he says aloud to himself.

He’d just had a fucking wet dream. An actual, full blown, honest to god, come-in-your-pants wet dream. It’s been more than ten years since he has had to deal with something like this. He’s a grown-ass man, and grown-ass men do not come in their pants like hormonal teenagers.

What’s worse, the subject was Tony. Apparently just dreaming about the man is enough to make Bucky jizz himself. 

That’s great, he’s dating Peter and now, between his and Tony’s new flirty thing and their little sex tape-slash-jerk off incedent the other day, Bucky wonders how on earth he’s supposed to look either man in the eye.

He recognizes that he has developed deep feelings for Peter. Possibly too deep. But now, Bucky’s catching feelings for Tony, too. What the hell does it even mean?

Nothing good, he knows. It’s like, what is he supposed to do at this point? He can’t --  _ won’t _ \-- just stop seeing Peter. He knows that his feelings for the younger man already run too deep to walk away from. So, where does that leave his newfound crush on Tony? 

He can’t deny that he’s intrigued by the man. Fascinated by the juxtaposition between the wealthy, powerful, billionaire and the down to earth, funny, approachable guy he’s gotten to know. And he wants to know more.

He also can’t deny that he is attracted to Tony. Usually Bucky has a type, more like Peter - twink-ish. However, there is an allure, a charisma to the man that he finds magnetic. He just keeps getting pulled in.

But at the end of the day, Peter and Tony are married. Happily married. 

“I’m so screwed,” he groans to himself, sitting up again.

He glances at the clock as he gets up to head for a shower. It’s barely five o’clock in the morning and already he’s had it with this day.

.o0o.

Stepping off the lift into his living room, Bucky sighs in exasperation, stomping the remaining melting snow from his boots.

This day had only gone from bad to worse. After his pre-dawn frenzy dream fantasy, he’d been so out of it that he forgot all about a meeting scheduled for today and left his notes behind, leaving Steve pissed at him and Fury thoroughly unimpressed. He’d had to run home on his lunch break to retrieve said notes, meaning he was forced to miss his scheduled lunch with Peter. He also didn’t bother to check the weather and, despite it being early spring, a late season blizzard had blown in in the early afternoon causing him to have to trudge home through icy, gusting winds. The snow leaving him with damp cuffs, wet socks, and shivering without a heavy coat.

Exhausted and frustrated by the day, on his way home he had decided it was worth it to make a pit stop at the liquor store for a little evening pick-me-up. This day warranted alcohol. 

Looking around the apartment, feeling disheartened at the thought of spending this snowy evening alone, Bucky makes his way to the kitchen and pulls a bottle of Maker's Mark out of its brown paper bag. 

Grabbing a glass, he pours himself a couple of fingers as he contemplates seeing what Peter is up to.

Typically he and the younger man only spend a couple of evenings a week together, but there have been a few times that Pete has texted him on an off night to see if he wants to get together. Bucky wonders if it would be okay for him to do the same but opts against disturbing his boyfriend’s evening.

With a decidedly unenthusiastic attitude, the soldier heads to the fridge to try and dig up something edible for dinner. He really should have stopped at the market too, but he’ll make the best of what he’s got.

As Bucky half heartedly pulls out some leftover chicken breast and broccoli that’s seen better days from the refrigerator, his phone buzzes on the counter.

**Peter** : Have you eaten yet?

**Bucky** : Not yet. Are you going to save me from my sad leftovers?

**Peter** :  Yes! Now get your ass upstairs for a real dinner, right now! :)

_ Upstairs _ ? Bucky is shocked. Aside from their initial rendezvous and the evening of their disastrous movie date, he’s never been invited to Tony and Peter’s flat.

**Bucky** : Be there in five!

Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, Bucky runs to the bathroom to splash some water on his face, changes into dry pants and socks, combs his hair and heads upstairs.

Exiting the lift again, the soldier is met with the most amazing aroma. A rich, mouthwatering, spicy tomato scent wafting his way.

“Bucky!” Tony booms from the kitchen, looking absolutely adorable in a denim apron. “Buon Compleanno!”

“Excuse me?”

“He said ‘happy birthday,’ Bucky,” Peter says, emerging from nowhere and enveloping him in a warm hug.

“What?” the man says, genuinely confused. “It’s not…”

“Today is March tenth, Buckaroo,” Tony tells him, “and, according to your files, that is the same date you graced this world with your presence.”

Confusedly looking back and forth between Tony and Peter, Bucky reaches into his pocket and checks the date on his phone. The billionaire is right, it’s his birthday.

“Huh,” he says, thrown, “guess I missed that.”

“Well, Tony never misses a birthday,” Peter informs him, “or an excuse to cook his famous eggplant parm.”

“That is true, hope you brought your appetite,” Tony agrees, turning back to the oven.

“Come on, Buck,” Peter says, grabbing his hand and pulling him into the dining room.

Bucky is truly touched by what he sees. The table is beautifully set with candles, china, flowers, and the centerpiece of it all is a birthday cake with a red star on top and his name written in the center. The soldier can’t remember the last time he had a birthday cake, or even acknowledged a birthday for that matter, and the sight of it makes his throat feel tight. 

“You did all this for me?” Bucky asks in awe.

“Of course, silly, it’s your birthday,” Peter matter-of-factly responds. “I can’t believe you forgot.”

“Yeah well, in Special Forces birthdays are different,” the soldier explains. “When you spend enough of them in a tent or a cave or some other place you can’t even talk about, after a while, you stop celebrating them.”

“Well, you’re not in a cave this year, so you’re going to celebrate it whether you like it or not,” Peter decrees with a kiss on the cheek.

Taking a second to look around the room in an attempt to hide the blush creeping up face, Bucky notices that there are four place settings at the table.

“Is someone else coming?” he asks, pointing to the table.

“Oh, yeah,” Peter says, “hope you don’t mind, but Pepper is coming too. She never passes up a chance for some of Tony’s cooking.”

“Okay,” Bucky nods, even though it wouldn’t be his first choice. 

He’s got nothing against Ms. Potts, per se, he’s just not at all sure she feels the same towards him. Seems that tonight will be the night to put that theory to the test.

Not two minutes later the elevator dings, indicating Ms. Potts arrival.

“Happy birthday, Bucky,” she offers politely, entering the dining room and proffering a bottle of Chianti for the occasion.

“Thank you, Ms. Potts.”

“Oh, I think you’ve earned the use of Pepper for the evening,” Tony says, breezing over and taking the wine off her hands.

Bucky looks her way for approval, she nods with a smile.

“Pepper it is,” he says, relieved to let that formality go.

All but Tony, who’s still puttering around in the kitchen, take a seat at the table engaging in pleasant small talk. Bucky is impressed to find that, like her employer, Pepper is much more down to earth outside of the office. While reserved, she is affable and cordial, with her own low key wit and sense of humor. He’s also genuinely surprised to learn that, before coming to embrace her asexuality, she and Tony tried dating for a while. Both of them admitting to being an unqualified disaster together. 

Food ready, Tony finally joins them and everyone tucks in. Dinner is amazing -- easily the best eggplant parmigiana Bucky has ever had -- and they talk and laugh as they enjoy the meal and wine.

When the main course is finished, the cake eaten (chocolate cherry and to die for), and Pepper and Tony have cleared the dishes -- refusing Bucky’s offer to help, stating that that wasn’t the job of the birthday boy -- Peter places a gift on the table in front of Bucky. A medium-sized, square box wrapped in silver and black paper.

“Open it,” he says softly.

Surprised, Bucky slowly reaches out and unwraps the package, finding a nondescript wooden box inside. Sliding the top off, he finds a satin lined cavity filled with an elegant snow globe, the base made of intricately carved mahogany with the dome made of crystal. Looking closer, he sees the tableau inside and gasps. Amidst the falling snow is an old red barn, and sitting just inside the barn door is a long-haired white cat.

“I can’t believe you remembered,” Bucky says to Peter in wonder.

An evening several weeks ago, in a post-coital haze, Peter and Bucky had laid in bed and talked for a long time. They’d chatted about their favorite music, movies, animals, and eventually ended up telling each other about their childhood pets. Peter, being a native New Yorker, had never been permitted anything more than a goldfish or a beta, so he was fascinated to learn that Bucky grew up on a farm, surrounded by animals. 

Bucky hadn’t talked about the farm in a long time. His family still lived there, but they weren’t close. He loved his folks, and they loved him, but his career had made it difficult to maintain a relationship. 

As a kid, he’d never felt like he belonged, always feeling out of place, like he had to hide so no one found out he was gay. It wasn’t easy. He was distant, didn’t have a lot of friends in school, he and his sister fought constantly. But the one thing he did have was the animals. He’d spend hours in the barn with the goats or the pig or hanging out with the chickens. But the one he spent the most time with was a long-haired white cat named Snowball. She was his confidant. The one he cried to when Todd Banks, his sixth-grade crush, had called him a freak in front of the whole cafeteria and shoved him into the wall. She was his best friend. They were so close that the day he had left for the Army, he didn’t shed a single tear until he went to the barn to say goodbye to her. 

Snowball had lived to the ripe old age of twenty-two, passing away just a few years ago. When his mother had called to tell him the news, he was devastated. His mom told him that she’d gone into his old room that day, curled up on the foot of his bed and gone to sleep, never waking up again.

That night reminiscing with Peter, Bucky was feeling sentimental and shared something he’d never told anyone else before. He’d told him that, to this day, in the field, when things weren’t going well and he started to feel afraid, he would think of Snowball. He would imagine her there with him, sometimes even talk to her, and she would always get him through the mission. She was his lucky charm.

Bucky coughs, attempting to clear the tightness from his throat for the second time tonight.

“Peter may have remembered,” Tony stage whispers teasingly, “but the rest of us didn’t know to begin with. Want to let us in on the story?”

“Um… I had this cat when I was a kid-” Bucky begins to explain, but he is cutoff as an alarm starts blaring all around them.

“Oh my god, is that-” Peter starts to ask, looking around, panicked.

“Yes!” Tony yells over him, jumping to his feet.

“I have to get to…” Peter says frantically.

“Go, now!” his husband barks. “Do not leave that room, no matter what. Stay with Happy!”

The young man dashes away as fast as he can and barrels up the stairs without so much as a backwards glance.

“Pep,” Tony barks, “get him out of here!” he orders, pointing to Bucky.

“What the hell is going on?!” the soldier demands, confused and irked. 

“No time to explain,” Tony retorts as he heads for his study, “you have to go home. Now!”

With that, he slams his study door closed and Bucky can hear locks shifting into place.

“Come on, Bucky,” Pepper says, uncharacteristically rattled as she grabs his elbow to pull him up.

“Seriously!” he says, yanking his arm away, “I want to know what the hell is happening!”

“I’m afraid I can’t tell you that,” Pepper responds, icy professionalism slipping back into place. “What I can tell you is that it’s time to go.”

She makes to grab his elbow again but he pulls it out of her reach.

“I think I can see myself out,  _ Ms. Potts _ ,” he spits in frustration.

Grabbing his snowglobe from the table he stomps off toward the elevator, but Pepper is right behind.

“What, are you my own personal escort now?” he asks, starting to get really pissed off.

She doesn’t answer, merely steps into the lift and uses her keycard to punch in his floor before stepping back out and motioning for him to go.

Bucky stares, he’s never seen a keycard used to work the lift before, he’s always just pushed the buttons like normal. If it’s needed now, then some sort of security protocol has been activated. This is serious.

He wants so badly to ask what’s going on, to find out if Peter is okay, to see if there is anything he can do to help. He’s a trained professional, god dammit! But he can tell by the set of Pepper’s jaw and her steely gaze that he would just be wasting his breath. They’ve closed ranks, leaving him on the outside.

Sighing dejectedly, Bucky gets in the elevator. 

He glares at Pepper as the doors close and heads home against all of his instincts. Everything inside of him, all of his training, telling him he should have stayed.

As he gets off the elevator, he walks back to his kitchen, earlier glass of whiskey still sitting on the counter. He picks it up and drains it in one gulp.

Realizing the snow globe is still in his hand, Bucky shakes it up and sets it in front of him, staring at the fake snow drifting down around the barn.

“Today’s my birthday, Snowball,” he says softly to the little cat inside. “I got to celebrate with some good people tonight. It was nice. But then…”

He doesn’t know what else to say. Because he doesn’t know what’s going on; what happened, what’s happening now, what it all means. He just knows that something is wrong and his services aren’t needed to help make it right.

As Bucky continues to stare at the snow globe, he’s struck by the symmetry of the moment. Here he is, standing outside the snowy scene, on the other side of the crystal sphere, unable to get in. Just like whatever happened upstairs, he’s stuck on the outside with no way in.

Pouring himself another glass of whiskey, he feels his throat tighten for the third time this night as he raises his glass in a melancholy salute to no one. 

“Happy birthday,” he wishes himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the Tony/Bucky wet dream tease! But not really... lol!
> 
> Comments and kudos are always appreciated! Thanks!!!


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shit gets heavy ahead, but it will lighten back up soon. And Project One is finally revealed!!!
> 
> TW: Tags have been updated. Minor character death occurs in this chapter. Nothing graphic, but you deserve a heads up.

Cherry blossoms. To most, a beautiful, cheerful sight. The harbingers of Spring. Nature’s way of phasing out the snow on the trees with their delicate pink lace instead.

Running flat out through the park at a punishing pace, Bucky finds no cheer or beauty at the sight of them.

It’s been eight days. Eight day since his birthday. Eight days since the dinner that ended in chaos. Eight days since he last saw Peter. And he still has no idea what’s going on.

That night after dinner, Bucky got drunk sitting alone in his kitchen. He had desperately needed to know that everything was okay, and since there was no way to find that out, he drank instead. 

The drunker he’d gotten, the more terrified he'd become that the spell between him and Peter had broken, that somehow the events of the evening had been the end for them. And the more Bucky drank the more frantic he’d become, not wanting to face the pain that losing Peter would cause him. He had called Peter’s number no less than ten times, but every time his calls had gone straight to voicemail.

Finally, at two in the morning, drunk off his ass, Bucky had given up and gone to bed. His inebriated mind’s final thought for the night to send a pleading text to his boyfriend.

**Bucky:** Please just tell me you’re ok

The next morning, intensely grateful that it was a Saturday, he’d slept until nearly eleven and awoken to a single two-word text in reply.

**Peter:** I’m okay

Sleep still in his eyes, Bucky'd sat there staring at the phone in his hand until his fingers had gone numb, reading and rereading those two words over and over again. Like a lovesick schoolgirl, he’d tried to suss out some further meaning from the missive, attempting to divine every possible meaning out of those two little words. He’d come up with nothing.

It was several more agonizing days before Bucky heard from Peter again. Monday morning he received another text, this one longer.

**Peter:** A lot has happened. Sorry I 

can’t tell you more. We’re okay. 

I’ll talk to you as soon as I can. <3

Bucky just sighed as he read the words. At least he knew Peter was all right.

The subsequent week had been one of the toughest of the soldier’s life. The difficult situation profoundly compounded by Bucky’s inability to talk about it.

His work had suffered. Fury was livid with him. And he and Steve were barely speaking. The minute he’d seen Bucky, his best friend had immediately known that something was wrong and wanted to help, but since he couldn’t tell the truth, in the moment, Bucky’d panicked and blamed his mood on Steve’s failure to remember his birthday. He’d gotten passive aggressive and snarky about it, letting his pent up frustration take over, and Steve had gotten defensive in return. A screaming match ensued and they’d been icy with each other ever since, only adding to Bucky’s strain.

With the arrival of the weekend, hellacious week finally behind him, Bucky decided that he needed to purge all of his excess frustrated energy. And the best way he knew how to do that was to run as hard as he could for as long as he could. So, this morning he’d woken up early, put on his gear and headed for the park. 

Lungs straining from excursion, Bucky has lost track of how far he’s run, but he has made an entire loop around Central Park, so it must be at least five or six miles. 

He doesn’t feel better.

Slowing his pace to cool down, Bucky moves along trying unsuccessfully not to let his mind wander to thoughts of Peter as he briskly ambles past The Met, heading for home. 

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a black SUV pulls to the curb right in front of him, screeching to a halt, and an imposing, dark-haired caucasian woman in a grey power suit steps out.

“Sergeant Barnes?” the woman inquires, all business.

“Who wants to know?” Bucky asks suspiciously.

“I’m Special Agent Maria Hill with the FBI,” she informs him, “and I need you to come with me, please.”

“What’s this all about?” he counters, immediately on alert.

“Mr. Parker has asked to bring you up to speed on the situation himself,” she deflects.

“Peter?” Bucky asks, somewhere between hopeful and terrified.

“Yes, he’s waiting at your apartment to speak with you,” she nods.

At that, Bucky doesn’t hesitate, he jumps in the SUV and they head straight for his building. Not willing to wait around and see if the agent's coming with him, as soon as they enter the parking garage, he bolts for the private elevator and high-tails it to his place.

Peter is waiting for him in the living room, looking like hell warmed over. As soon as he sees the soldier, he rushes over and envelopes him in a bone crushing hug.

“Bucky,” he chokes out, sounding wrecked.

The second the soldier embraces the other man he feels relief course through his entire body, like a piece of himself had been missing with Peter's absence and he was finally whole again. 

"God, I've missed you," Bucky says, holding his boyfriend tightly.

They stand locked in each others arms, gently swaying from side to side for several minutes, just basking in each other's presence.

Bucky is concerned to note that Peter feels several pounds lighter than the last time he was in his arms. 

“I know you have a thousand questions," Peter says, finally pulling away from the embrace, "but I need to get you to the Tower before I explain everything. Go get changed and we’ll head over.”

Nodding, Bucky makes to head for his room to get cleaned up but is stopped by Peter grabbing his hand.

“Can I come with you?” Peter asks in a small voice.

Seeing the exposed, timid look on his boyfriend's face, Bucky can't refuse. He just gives Peter a soft smile in reply and pulls him down the hall to accompany him to his bedroom.

The soldier, in a hurry to find out what’s going on, tries to strip off his clothes to grab a quick shower, but Peter won’t let go of his hand.

“Baby, what is it?” Bucky asks gently, giving the younger man’s hand a reassuring squeeze.

Peter opens his mouth, but no words come out. Bucky has never seen him like this before, he’s usually so confident and self-assured, but right now, Peter looks every bit the scared twenty-year-old that he is.

“Please,” he whispers, “I know I have no right to ask this, but…”

“What, Pete? What do you need?” Bucky prompts, reaching out to softly caress his cheek.

“I need you,” Peter says, desperation in his voice. “Please, I feel like I’m falling apart and I just need to feel you,” he begs.

Bucky feels like his heart might break at the sight of the fragile vulnerability on Peter’s face as he says those words. He would agree to anything to wipe away that look and make sure it never comes back.

“Anything you need. I’m yours.”

At that, Peter attacks his mouth with a whimper. He grabs Bucky by the shirt, pulls them both until slamming his own back into the wall across the room.

“Take me right here,” Peter says a little breathlessly, “and don’t be gentle.”

The soldier shakes his head, trying to catch up with rapid turn of events. “What about prep and…?” Bucky asks, trying not to let his wanton desire override his concern for Peter’s well being, which isn’t easy considering how long it’s been since they were last together.

Peter is already shaking his head.

“I prepped myself before I came, I’m dripping wet. That’s how bad I need this,” he says in a broken voice.

That’s all Bucky needs to hear. He rips off his clothes as fast as he can and starts to strip Peter's as well.

The soldier doesn’t dally, clothes removed and both fully hard members released, he grabs Peter and wraps his legs around his waist, pressing him into the wall.

Moaning at being manhandled, Peter is already trembling with need, looking desperate to be filled as he clings to Bucky’s neck, kissing and sucking.

Reaching his flesh hand around his boyfriend, Bucky plunges two fingers into his waiting hole and meets no resistance. 

Peter groans at the sensation.

Satisfied that the other man is wet and open enough not to cause unnecessary discomfort, Bucky lines up his dick and slides it all the way home. They both moan.

Pausing for Peter to adjust, Bucky moves both hands to the wall on either side of his partner’s head for leverage.

Peter is already shivering with need. “Please move,” he pleads.

Happy to do as he’s asked, Bucky lets loose, hips snapping back and plunging forward again. He sets a swift pace, knowing they don’t have time for anything else. That doesn’t seem enough for Peter, though.

“Harder,” he pants.

Shifting his weight, Bucky leans in and really starts to slam in and out of his boyfriend, feeling Peter’s cock rub against the hard planes of his stomach.

“Ahhh,” Peter cries out as the new angle hits him in just the right spot.

Both men now dripping in sweat and completely lost in the moment, Bucky leans his forehead against Peter’s shoulder to ground himself as the younger man twines his hands through the soldier’s hair for the same reason.

Pounding in and out of his boyfriend’s hole for what feels like an eternity of frantic desperation, Bucky loses himself in his fierce desire for the other man. Peter seems to feel the same and begins to tremble, getting closer.

As he nears the edge, the younger man tightens his hold on Bucky’s hair and pulls his head up. Peter locks eyes with him as he brings his hands around to cup Bucky’s face.

“Thank you,” he heaves out, shaking all over, “I needed to feel this so much. I needed to feel _you_ so much. You feel so good - so good. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you,” he rambles, getting closer.

Bucky can see and sense the depth of Peter’s words and feels them reverberate through him to his very core.

“Oh god,” Peter gasps, “don’t stop. I’m gonna come. Please, don’t stop. I need you so much. Please, don’t stop,” he babbles as his body goes rigid.

Before Bucky can even think, Peter is screaming out his name, clawing at his shoulders, as he comes completely untouched, twitching and thrashing against the wall, his spend warming the space between their bellies.

Quivering through his aftershocks, Peter clings to Bucky, gripping him tightly as though afraid the other will slip away if he lets go.

“Don’t stop,” he whispers in Bucky’s ear, pulling back to look his partner in the face, “take what you need.”

Looking into Peter’s warm, endless brown eyes, still feeling the echo of his earlier words, Bucky is completely enraptured. He feels the earth move, as though the floor beneath his feet has given way and he’s free falling. 

Staring at the open and unabashed affection on his partner’s glowing face, Bucky feels himself tip over the edge, realizing in that moment that he’s just fallen in love with Peter. Irrevocably, immutable, permanently.

At the sensation of that love flowing through him, Bucky comes like a rocket, contractions of pleasure coursing up from his toes as he feels his climax with his entire being, a primordial cry of ecstasy ripped from his throat.

Ecstatic aftershocks quaking through his whole body, spent from lovemaking and holding Peter's weight against the wall, Bucky feels like his legs might give way, so he grips the wall behind them, grabbing so hard that his metal fingers crumble the drywall. Peter merely laughs as his shoulders are showered with dust, some of the pent up tension seeming to have released from his body after his climax.

Bucky can’t stop staring at him. At his smile. It’s like he’s seeing Peter for the first time all over again. He knows that they need to take a shower, that they need to get to the Tower, that there is a whole situation involving the FBI going on that he knows nothing about, and certainly that the events of the last few minutes haven’t changed the fact that Peter is happily married, but he just can’t bring himself to care about any of that right now. In this moment, he is staring into the face of the man he loves and the rest of the world can just go right to hell.

.o0o.

Exiting the lift, Bucky and Peter step out into the buzzing, jaundiced fluorescence of the parking garage beneath their building holding hands. 

Agent Hill and another agent -- a fetching, follicularly challenged, middle aged white guy -- stand waiting by the SUV.

After their impromptu intimacy upstairs, Bucky and Peter had hopped in the shower together to get cleaned up, thrown on some clothes, and headed down. Though it went against every instinct inside of him, Bucky had refrained from asking any of the dozens of questions running through his mind, instead focusing on the relief of being in Peter's presence again.

“Gentlemen,” Agent Hill greets them with a clipped nod.

“Sergeant Barnes,” the male agent says pleasantly, proffering a hand to Bucky, “I’m Special Agent Coulson, SA Hill’s partner. Nice to meet you.”

Bucky shakes his hand in return, with a nod of acknowledgement.

“I’m guessing you guys are our escort to the Tower?” the soldier clarifies.

“That we are,” Agent Coulson confirms with an amiable smile.

“Well then, let’s get this show on the road, shall we?” Bucky says impatiently.

Eager for answers, he opens the door for Peter and they both slide into the backseat together, ready to go.

As the agents climb in the front, an uneasy silence settles around them as Agent Hill pulls out into traffic.

“Bucky,” Peter says with a shaky voice, “there’s something you need to know before we get there.

He pauses to take a steadying breath, steeling himself for whatever he’s about to say next.

“Jarvis is dead,” he announced softly as tears welled up in his eyes, “he was murdered.”

Bucky is astonished, struck totally speechless by the news.

“Whoever’s been threatening me hacked the system in the building,” Peter continues, voice trembling, “they shut down all the cameras and tried to gain access to the private elevator, but Edwin caught them. He triggered the fail safe alarm -- that's what went off during your dinner -- and it locked everything down. But when the guy figured out he wasn’t going to be able to get to me, he took Jarvis instead, that’s why the FBI is involved. 

“He was missing for the first six days. There was no ransom call or demands made, he was just gone. Then yesterday his body was found in a warehouse in Jersey. He’d been _tortured_ ,” Peter's voice to breaks at that vile word as tears begin to stream down his face, “they think for information about me. But as far as they can figure, he didn’t say anything. He wouldn’t break, so they killed him.”

As the younger man starts sobbing in earnest, Bucky slides across the leather seat and engulfs him in his arms.

The remainder of the ride is silent, Bucky and Peter lost in thoughts of their departed friend, the agents remaining subdued out of respect for their grief.

A few moments later, Agent Hill pulls into another parking garage, this one beneath Stark Tower, and all four exit the vehicle.

“We’ll meet you upstairs,” Peter says authoritatively, making it clear he wants a moment alone with Bucky.

Entering yet another elevator, Peter pulls out a black key card just like Pepper’s and they begin to ascend.

“I didn’t want to say anything in front of the agents,” Peter tells him, “but before we get up there, you need to understand that Tony isn’t himself right now. He is taking on all the blame for what happened; for me having a stalker, for Edwin being killed. Rhodey is here with him, but even he hasn’t been able to calm him down. I don’t know how he’ll be when we see him. I don’t think he’s slept for days now.”

As Bucky listens, he is struck by the exhausted sadness he sees in Peter. It’s clear from what he just said that he and Tony haven’t been staying under the same roof. If the billionaire is willingly keeping a distance between him and his husband, things must be really bad.

The lift dings, bringing the soldier out of his thoughts. As he glances up, he notes that they have arrived at the eighty-second floor. Bucky has always been intensely curious about their private floor, but given the circumstances he's been granted access, he’d rather not see it at all.

Stepping out into a huge open space, they immediately hear two male voices yelling in the distance. Even though they can’t make out what’s being said, it’s clear they are really going at it.

Without a word of acknowledgement, as though expecting the shouting, Peter walks over to a kitchen area ahead on the right and starts making a pot of tea.

Allowing the other man his distraction, Bucky keeps quiet and takes in his surroundings. 

Being so high up in the building, the floor is smaller and almost the entire space is encompassed by Stark’s trademark floor-to-ceiling windows. Beyond the kitchen is a huge seating area with multiple couches and a gigantic TV. To the left of the seating area is a vast laboratory space filled with stainless steel work benches and millions of dollars worth of high tech equipment that could very well be from outer space for all Bucky can tell. Opposite the kitchen is a hallway, assumingly accessing bedrooms, bathrooms, offices, etc. The raised voices are emanating from down the hallway.

Looking around, the only thing that really stands out to Bucky, aside from the overwhelming luxury of the space, is a single door just to the left of the elevator that, curiously, is painted bright purple. The only pop of color in the generally monochromatic space.

Still taking it all in, Peter materializes by the soldier’s side with a mug of chamomile tea in each hand.

“Pepper just texted me,” he informs Bucky, handing him a mug, “the agents are speaking with her right now so we’ve got some time.”

Before Bucky can respond, a door down the hall flies open, hitting the wall with a thud, and the voices become much louder.

“I’m done talking about this!” Tony bellows.

“Well, I’m not,” another voice roars back, “because you’re not listening!”

“I mean it, Rhodey, I’m done!”

The two men round the corner and stop at the sight of Peter and Bucky before them, looking to have been unaware that they had company.

As Tony halts, it’s clear that he only has eyes for Peter, an unspoken pleading on his face as he gazes at his husband.

The other man -- the handsome black guy Bucky had seen from their wedding photo -- looks around, assessing the room.

“Hi,” he says to Bucky, stepping over to shake his hand, “I’m Colonel James Rhodes, USAF. You must be Sergeant Barnes."

“Bucky,” the soldier clarifies, setting down his mug to shake the Colonel’s hand.

“All right, Bucky,” the other man nods. “Then, you call me Rhodey.”

As the military men have been observing social niceties, Peter and Tony have kept their eyes locked in some sort of silent argument. However, the billionaire seems unable to hold his tongue any longer and breaks the silence.

“Please, sweetheart,” he says in a broken voice, “I’m _begging_ you.”

Something in the other man's voice seems to crumble Peter’s resolve. Unable to help himself, he darts over and melts into his husband’s arms, sobbing.

“I’ve missed you so much,” Tony croons quietly into his ear. “I hate being away from you. Please, do this for me. For us. For our family.”

“Tony…” Rhodey sighs, exhausted tone imploring his friend to drop the subject.

_“Don’t,”_ is all Tony says in response, voice hard as iron.

At that, Rhodey throws his hands up in the air. 

“I’m sorry, Peter,” he says in exasperation, “but I gotta get out of here. It was nice to meet you, Bucky.”

And with that, he exits without so much as fare-thee-well, frustration still painted on his face.

“Baby,” Peter finally says delicately to Tony, still caught in his embrace, “you already know my answer.”

“Peter, _no_ , don’t do this!” the billionaire shouts in his husband’s face as he grabs Peter by the arms and shakes him forcefully, sloshing tea down the front of them both. “You _can’t_ do this to me!”

Bucky doesn’t even think, he just reaches out and yanks Tony away from Peter by the collar of his shirt.

Stunned, Tony seems to realize what he’d just done. His eyes immediately fill with regret and he looks on the verge of tears.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry. Honey, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to grab you.”

“It’s okay, Tony,” Peter says in a small voice, “I’m all right.”

The older man moves to comfort his husband, but Bucky’s grip on his collar is unrelenting.

“You need to leave,” the soldier informs him bluntly.

By the livid, nearly feral look on his face, Bucky is pretty sure that Tony is about to throw a punch his way in response to being told to leave his own building, his own spouse, but Peter steps over and tenderly cups his husband’s face to draw his attention.

“Honey, go home and get some sleep, I'm begging you,” he gently pleads. “You haven't slept in days, you're not yourself. We’ll be okay, I _promise_.”

Tony and Peter stare at each other for a long time, engaging in an unspoken battle of wills. Finally, Tony dejectedly sighs and slumps his shoulders in defeat.

“Fine, I’m leaving,” he says in an almost petulant manner.

Without another word, he stomps off and disappears into the lift.

No longer needing to hold it together for Tony's sake, Peter begins positively trembling with compounded emotions as the weight of everything catches up to him. 

Bucky reaches out and supportively guides him to the seating area, encouraging him to sit down before he falls down.

Peter is nearly beside himself. The culmination of all of the grief, fear, and worry he has experienced over the last week seeming to crash down around him, he leans into Bucky and finally lets himself cry it out.

Not saying a word, Bucky just sits with Peter for a long time and holds him, letting his boyfriend sob into the front of his shirt.

After a long while, Peter finally begins to calm, his sobs easing to sniffles and hiccoughs.

“Pete, what’s going on?” Bucky finally asks softly. “What was that all about?”

Sighing, Peter sits back and scrubs a hand across his ruddy, tear stained face, looking bone tired and worn down.

“So many things…” he says, pausing to gather his thoughts before expanding.

“It’s partially my fault,” he begins. “I already told you Tony wasn’t himself, and a big part of that is because I insisted on bringing the FBI in on this. He wanted to keep it all in-house and leave the authorities out of it because he doesn’t trust anyone that he doesn’t vet himself. Tony feels like bringing outsiders in is letting strangers -- unknown, potentially untrustworthy, treacherous strangers -- have access to the most private parts of his life. But me and Rhodey made him call them. To say he’s been uncooperative would be a colossal understatement.”

“But what was he begging you about?” Bucky wants to know. “The FBI is already here.”

“The guy is still out there, right,” Peter explains, “and that is making Tony crazy. Knowing that this psycho came so close to getting into our home? That’s all of Tony’s worst fears becoming reality. He’s beside himself with worry. That’s why he’s not sleeping. And the only thing he can think of to keep us safe is to ship us off to our cabin in the Adirondacks that no one knows about. He wants to keep us hidden until this dude is behind bars, but I won’t do it. I refuse to stop living my life and be locked away like some prison because this crazy person is after me. He just can’t seem to understand that. All he can focus on is keeping us safe.”

“You keep saying ‘us’…” Bucky notes.

Peter lets out a huge sigh before shifting in his seat, looking Bucky in the eye, and taking both of his hands.

“By this point, I’m guessing you’ve figured out that there’s something I’ve been keeping from you,” Peter says candidly.

“Project One,” Bucky responds with a nod, aware that he'd been kept in the dark about it.

“Yeah,” Peter admits, “Project One.”

Pausing, the younger man scans Bucky's face, nervously tightening the grip on his hands as he braces himself to say what he needs to say.

“You have to understand that this is the most important part of my life - _our_ lives,” Peter says passionately. “I would lay down my life for Project One without a second thought. So would Tony.”

Bucky is thrown by this, he’d gathered that the project was critical to the other men, but Peter is talking like it’s more important than their own well being.

"There are only seven people in the entire world that know the truth about Project One," Peter continues seriously. "This goes beyond national security, Bucky, what I'm sharing with you is the deepest secret Tony and I have and I'm trusting you with it."

The gravity of Peter's words is not lost on the other man, feeling the depth of his trust, Bucky vows to himself that he will protect this secret, whatever it may be, with all he has and tells Peter as much.

“Come with me then,” the younger man says, nervously getting to his feet and grabbing Bucky's hand to guide him toward the bright purple door.

Peter stares at him wordlessly for a long moment, an unreadable expression on his face, before silently opening the door.

“Wait here,” he instructs.

Waiting as instructed, all Bucky can see of the room Peter has entered is the puzzlingly out of place bright, multi-colored carpet.

“Happy, can you give us a minute?” he hears Peter say.

A second later, an unseen door snicks closed in the distance as the younger man reappears.

Wordlessly, he grabs Bucky’s hand again and leads him inside.

“Bucky, this is Project One,” Peter states, indicating the far side of the room.

Thrown by the bright colors surrounding him, it takes a second for Bucky to catch on. But when he does, what he sees leaves him staggered.

Of all the possible things he thought he might see, never in his wildest dreams would he ever have thought it would be the sight before him.

He gapes, utterly dumbstruck. 

In front of them, in a little white cot, is a beautiful baby with a head full of brown curls.

“This is our daughter,” Peter says proudly, “Morgan Stark.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Baby Morgan!!!!! Ahhhhh! She's been softly cooing in my head for weeks and weeks, patiently waiting to make her little debut.
> 
> As I mentioned above, this chapter is heavy. Let me know what you guys think of that. Comments and kudos are always appreciated. Thank!


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What happens when a gruff soldier meets an adorable baby? Let's find out!

“Need a hand?” Steve asks, awkwardly fiddling with hem of his shirt.

“Think I’m good,” Bucky says, overly cordial as he picks up his single banker’s box of belongings.

While the two are back to civil terms, bordering on friendly, there is still a little unresolved tension between them that the brunet feels guilty about, he knows Steve didn’t deserve the way he blew up at him. Not for the first time, he truly wishes that he could just tell his best friend the whole story.

“It’s not going to be the same without you sitting across from me,” the blonde says lightly in an attempt to ease the stiffness between them.

“I’ll be close by, maybe I’ll even drop in and rearrange your desk sometime,” Bucky teases, heading for the door. 

But prior to exiting pauses, knowing he has to smooth things over before he goes, put this thing with Steve behind them. His best friend deserves that.

“We’re good, aren’t we,” Bucky prompts the other man. “I’m mean, you know I’ve always got your six, right?”

“Yeah, Buck,” Steve assures him, relief evident as that All-American grin of his slides across his face. “We’re good. I’ve got your back, too, till the end of the line.”

“Come here, you punk,” Bucky says, dropping his box and pulling his best friend into a back slapping hug.

As they pull apart, the brunet feels things click back into place between them. They’ve been friends for a long time, he knew one little argument wasn’t going to end that, but with everything he’s keeping from Steve these days, it’s nice to have things resolved.

“Now get outta here, you big sap,” Steve jokes, playfully shoving him out the door.

Chuckling as he makes his way to the elevators, Bucky pulls the new black keycard out of his pocket, scanning the card and heading up. Less than a minute later, the doors open to the eighty-second floor. 

Finding himself the only occupant at the moment, Bucky makes his way down the hall to dump his things, As he does, he thinks over the events of the last week. All that has changed.

It’s crazy to think that it was just last Saturday that Bucky met baby Morgan for the first time.

  
  
  
  


Standing in the middle of a nursery, staring at the sleeping form of one of the most beautiful babies he’d ever seen, Bucky was completely lost for words at the enormity of her existence.

Where did she come from? Why was she a secret? How old is she? Why did she have a codename?

Turning to Peter, Bucky doesn’t even know where to begin.

“You have a kid…” he muttered.

“I do,” Peter acknowledged with a little smile. “ _We_ do.”

Bucky just looked back and forth between him and the baby, too confounded for anything else.

“I’m guessing you have questions,” his boyfriend prompted, keeping his voice down so as not to wake the child.

The other man nodded dumbly in reply.

“Why don’t we sit down and talk first,” Peter suggested. “Then you can meet her if you want.”

All Bucky could do was nod dumbly again.

His boyfriend led them across the room to a window seat that ran the length of the wall of windows and pulled Bucky down beside him.

“What do you want to know?” Peter asked calmly, with an air that conveyed his willingness to answer anything.

Bucky had to think for a moment to even know where to begin.

“Is she… I mean - is she okay?” he started in an urgent whisper, overwhelmed by all the possibilities running through his mind. “Is she, like… healthy and stuff? Why-why is she in a lab? Why does she have a… codename? Is she part of some-some project or something?”

Usually one for remaining calm no matter the situation, Bucky realized that he was freaking out right now, but didn't care. There was a fucking baby involved!

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Peter said softly, putting a calming hand on Bucky’s forearm. “Slow down. All of those are perfectly reasonable questions, but let’s just take it one at a time.”

“Okay,” Bucky nodded, taking a deep breath. “Why don’t you tell me her origin story then?”

“All right,” his boyfriend agreed, sitting back and taking a second to think. 

Bucky took the chance to glance over at the baby’s dreaming face, hoping to god that what he heard next didn't ruin everything he had with Peter.

“To answer your questions,” her father began. “She is fine. Perfect in fact. She is healthy and happy and wonderful. Morgan is just a regular baby, she’s here in the lab because we work in the lab. We try to keep her with us as much as possible. And she is absolutely not part of any project - although Tony is obsessed with the idea of studying the cause of what he considers excessive drool production,” he jested.

“The name Project One actually started as a joke,” Peter explained. “We obviously couldn’t openly talk about becoming parents in front of anyone because we were keeping it to ourselves, so we started referring to having a baby as our ‘number one project.’ It stuck, and Tony being Tony, officially dubbed all things Morgan-related as Project One. She even has a onesie somewhere that says it on the front, a little tongue-in-cheek gift from her other dad.

“She’s ours, Bucky,” Peter clarified earnestly. “Mine and Tony’s. And we love her with all of our hearts. We both wish that she could have more of a normal life, like other babies, but we do the best we can for her.”

Bucky absorbed the information, relieved, it was evident from Peter’s face just how much he adored his daughter but there’s so much more he wanted -- needed -- to understand.

“Um… is she… was she…” he struggled to find the right words for his next question, wanting to phrase it correctly. “Did Pepper…? I saw a wedding photo in Tony’s office-”

“Yes,” Peter interrupted with a knowing smile, understanding where Bucky was going and taking pity on his struggle to get there. “Pepper was our surrogate. Morgan was born two and a half weeks after our wedding.

“When Tony and I met, he and Pepper had already made plans for her to be a surrogate for him. He was going to do it alone, then when we got together, he decided to put everything on hold. But, as our relationship progressed and I saw how important becoming a father was to him… Well, I knew I always wanted to have kids someday -- granted, I always figured I’d be a little older when I had them -- but, it wasn’t a big stretch for me to say yes right away. Having Morgan, becoming a parent, is the most amazing thing that’s ever happened to me.”

As Peter was talking, Bucky could feel himself breathing easier. Knowing that this was a child of love and not part of something darker that his mind may have conjured up in the abrupt unexpectedness of her introduction brought forth much more pleasant thoughts, like the prospect of getting to hold her.

“How old is she?” he wanted to know, eyes returning to the cot as the baby stirred in her sleep.

“She’ll be eight months in about a week,” her father answered proudly.

Despite his growing eagerness to meet the baby, there was one other thing Bucky needed to ask.

“Why is she a secret, Peter?” he probed.

Sighing heavily, the other man looked to his daughter.

“It wasn’t an easy decision,” he said pensively. “You know about Tony’s childhood -- hell, _everyone_ knows about Tony’s childhood -- he didn’t get a choice about being in the public eye or being plastered all over the tabloids when he was little. We didn’t want that for her. So, we agreed from the beginning to let it be her choice. Morgan will always know how much she is loved and how proud we are to be her parents, but she will stay our closely guarded secret until she’s old enough to tell us otherwise. Tony says he’ll happily sky write it above the whole of Manhattan if she decides she wants to go public.”

The younger man looked like he had more to say on the subject, but at that moment, Morgan woke up and made her presence known with a happy shriek upon seeing her dad across the room.

Peter walked over and scooped the baby up, planting a smacking kiss on her forehead as she burbled happily in his arms.

Tentatively, Bucky stood up and looked to his boyfriend for permission to come closer. When Peter nodded in consent, the soldier approached, attention glued to the little brown-eyed girl.

“Hi, Morgan,” he cooed, smiling softly as he wiggled a metal finger in greeting, “I’m Bucky.”

Enraptured by the shiny digit, the baby looked back and forth between her father, him, and the finger before reaching out to grab it with her little pudgy, dimpled hand.

She stared in wonder as she brought the extremity to her mouth, feeling the cool texture, she began to squeal in delight. Bucky couldn't help but be delighted in return.

Despite his gruff, military exterior, Bucky adored children, but there was something special about this baby. She seemed almost magnetic -- like Peter -- and the soldier felt drawn to her.

“Can… can I hold her?” he asked timidly, unsure if that was okay.

“Of course you can,” Peter said with an indulgent smile, placing Morgan in Bucky’s hold.

Baby in his arms, the soldier automatically started rocking from side to side, unable to stop himself from grinning like an idiot at her precious face.

Morgan blinked up as though assessing him, taking him in. She looked uncertain at first, as she brought both little hands up and smacked him in the face with her sticky, drool-covered palms.

“She likes you,” Peter laughed beside him. “She only smacks people she likes.”

“I like you, too,” Bucky confessed in his best baby voice, smiling as she kept slapping his cheeks, pleased to meet with her approval.

Losing interest in whacking the soldier, the little girl reached for the shiny chain around his neck and extracts his dog tags from the confines of his shirts, jangling them with staccato little movements.

Looking up to share the adorableness of the moment with her father, Bucky was staggered by the expression he found on the other man’s face instead. The undisguised adoration openly exuding from Peter’s face at his tender, accepting interactions with Morgan immediately had his blood heating up. The countenance was hypnotic, pulling the soldier in without his permission.

Unable to help themselves, he and Peter slowly leaned in, caught in each other’s gaze, their lips were mere inches apart when Happy re-entered the room with an armful of baby paraphernalia. 

They immediately pulled apart, Bucky shuffling to the side.

“Hey there, little one,” the usually less-than-genial man says to Morgan without looking up from his load. “Did you miss me?”

As the baby shrieked back in response, Happy looked up, catching the tension between the two men.

“Um, hey there,” he said awkwardly, like he wasn't sure what else to do.

“So, Project One Specialist, huh?” Bucky uncomfortably teased to break the tension.

“Oh, yeah,” Happy chuckled, grateful for the distraction. “That was just Tony-speak. I’m the glorified nanny.”

Morgan, growing restless at being held too long, started squirming in Bucky’s arm before he could respond.

“Are you hungry, Miss Morgan?” Happy asked her. “Let’s go find you a snack.”

With that, he took the baby and left through the same door he just entered, most likely heading for some sort of service quarters.

Alone again, Peter and Bucky felt the reality of everything that had transpired come crashing back down around them.

“Pete,” Bucky said seriously, turning to his boyfriend. “Thank you for telling me about Morgan, letting me meet her, but -- I gotta ask -- why now?”

“Oh, Buck,” the younger man sighed dejectedly, “I don’t even know where to start…”

“Is there any of that tea left in the kitchen?” the soldier offered with a supportive smile.

“Yeah,” Peter said, grinning halfheartedly in appreciation.

As they made their way back to the main room, Bucky grabbed a couple of mugs, heated them up, and the pair took a seat on one of the couches next to the windows overlooking Times Square. 

The early Spring afternoon sun was already dipping low in the sky, painting the room in a warm orange light that seemed a jarring juxtaposition to the gloominess of their current circumstances.

Taking a few minutes to just be with each other again after so much time apart, they enjoyed their tea in a companionable silence before Bucky finally cleared his throat.

“Talk to me, baby,” he gently implored.

“It could all be ending, Bucky,” Peter blurted out, anxiety bubbling to the surface. “There are so many people involved now. So many people that know about me and Tony. About _you_. The FBI is running around asking questions, interviewing people, filing reports. If one single person talks or one report falls into the wrong hands, it’s all over.

“Not to mention, we have to find new personal security immediately. And how do you even find someone to trust with your whole life on such short notice? That’s why Rhodey’s here right now. Tony pulled some strings to get him here to guard us for the time being, but he can’t stay long. 

“So far, the only good thing is that we’ve managed to keep Morgan out of everything -- that was the only way I could get Tony to agree to call the authorities in the first place -- but who knows how long that will last.

“I’m so sorry, Bucky,” Peter said, looking to his boyfriend with anguished eyes. “This is such a mess and you didn’t sign up for any of it. The thought that being with me could somehow ruin things for you makes me sick. You shouldn’t have to deal with any of this.”

“Hey, that’s enough of that,” the soldier said fiercely. “Nobody deserves any of this. You don’t deserve a crazy stalker. Jarvis certainly didn’t deserve to get killed. It all sucks, but it’s nobody’s fault, okay?”

As soon as the words were out of Bucky’s mouth, Peter’s arms wound around his neck.

“Thank you,” the younger man whispered fervently. “Thank you. I know I have no right to say this to you, but I’m so glad you’re with me through this.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Bucky promised into his ear.

Looking to distract himself from getting too caught up in his boyfriend’s embrace, a thought occurred to the man, something Peter just said about Colonel Rhodes.

“Hey, doll,” Bucky said, pulling back to look the other man in the face. “What you said about Rhodey, Tony pulling some strings, what did you mean?”

“Well, Tony is basically the highest ranking civilian in the US military,” Peter said, obviously confused by where this was going. “He had him temporarily reassigned to SI.”

“Could he do that to me?” the soldier wanted to know.

“I mean, probably,” Peter answered, perplexed.

“So, what if I become your personal security?” Bucky inquired. “I’m more than qualified, I’ve already been vetted, hell, I even live right downstairs. Tony could get me reassigned just like Rhodey.”

“You would do that?” his boyfriend asked hopefully, sitting up straighter to better look in his eyes.

“I’d do anything for you,” Bucky replied like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Oh my god, you’re amazing,” Peter said, adoration in his voice as he leaned in to kiss his boyfriend soundly.

And Bucky found that he was no longer able to stop himself from getting too caught up in his boyfriend’s embrace.

  
  
  
  


Belongs deposited in his new office down the hall, Bucky makes his way back to the main room and takes a seat in the same spot he and Peter had occupied last Saturday, waiting for Pepper to arrive with a few SI papers to sign. 

That day, after their discussion and the lengthy, taxing interviews with the FBI that followed, things had progressed quickly. While still frantic with worry for Peter and Morgan’s well being, Tony had instantly agreed to Bucky taking over security. He’d made the necessary phone calls and it had only taken a couple of days for the reassignment to come through, but the soldier hadn’t picked up the belongings from his SHIELD office until today.

No one was sure how long the assignment would last, but it had been agreed that, for the foreseeable future, Bucky would be by Peter’s side anytime he was not at home or in the Tower. Tony, still behaving irrationally, had originally tried to insist that Peter remain in their apartment at all times, but it hadn’t gone over well. In fact, it led to quite a row between him, his husband, and Rhodey that left Bucky more than a little uncomfortable to witness. The fight had gotten so bad that it woke Morgan upstairs. Tony eventually stormed out, leaving Peter in tears and Rhodey furious at his friend’s bullheadedness. As far as Bucky knows, after the fight, the billionaire is sleeping in another room and he and his husband are barely speaking.

It upsets Bucky to see Peter so upset, as complex and somewhat convoluted as their pairing is, at the end of the day, all he wants is for his boyfriend to be happy.

He isn’t sure what the future holds for him, Peter, or Tony and their respective relationships, but the one thing Bucky is sure of is that he will do everything he can to keep from adding any more stress to Peter’s life. Never mind that he, himself is now on tenterhooks every time he’s alone with his boyfriend, terrified that he will say or do something to accidentally reveal the depth of his newfound love for the man, because that’s the last thing Peter needs right now. 

No, Bucky has officially tucked his love for the other man away in the farthest recesses of his heart. For Peter’s sake. Or so he keeps telling himself.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, what did you think? How do you feel about Tony right now? Will he and Peter be okay? Are Tony and Bucky still 'friends?' What about Bucky and his new love for his boyfriend? How will all work out?!? Guess you'll have to keep reading to find out... Lol!
> 
> Kudos and comments are most appreciated. On a story like this, featuring less popular pairings, it really helps to get kudos and comments as a reminder that people really are enjoying the work. 
> 
> Thanks so much for reading! I appreciate each and every one of you!!!


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo... sorry for the delay in posting. This chapter fought me ever step of the way. I knew exactly how I wanted it to go and it just wouldn't come out that way. It took four - yes *four* - drafts to finally come together. But I'm finally happy with the finished product. Hope you all are too.
> 
> TW: Bucky recounts the death of a fellow soldier in non-graphic detail. Blood is mentioned.

“Oh my god, babe, look,” Bucky says, excitedly pointing to the display window of a shop they just passed. “Can we go in and see?”

“You are ridiculous,” Peter laughs fondly. “Okay, let’s go.”

The pair are spending the day exploring downtown Flushing in Queens after dropping Morgan off with Aunt May. The ladies are having a girl’s day to honor May’s belated birthday since Morgan couldn’t be there yesterday on the actual day. 

Traversing his boyfriend’s old stomping grounds, it turns out that Peter’s an excellent tour guide, introducing Bucky to all sorts of hidden gems off the beaten path. The soldier’s been shocked by the area. Never having explored the burrow properly, he was floored to find out the region is considered New York City’s second Chinatown, it’s a veritable melting pot all around. They’re surrounded by so many different influences; there are Pakistani and Irish restaurants to the left, Greek and Afghan to the right, and the area is riddled with Japanese and Chinese herb shops, restaurants, street vendors, and (like the window they currently face) antique stores. 

Bucky had been drawn to the display full of vintage Maneki-neko cats. They’ve seen so many today that he’s decided he needs one, but is determined to find one that is exactly right, the precise size, shape, and color to represent his beloved Snowball. A task that’s easier said than done. They’ve stopped in _several_ shops already with no luck. Peter seems to find his search both endearing and exasperating. Bucky doesn't mind, though, he’s just glad that his boyfriend is able to be out in the world, enjoying behaving like a regular person for a little while.

It’s the first time they’ve spent any length of time in public in the nearly six weeks since Bucky took over Peter’s security. In that time, they’ve only gone to and from the Tower, stopped at the market, or popped to the bodega down the street. One day they got adventurous and went to lunch around the corner just to get out and enjoy the weather for a minute, but that’s about it. They’ve spent the vast majority of the last month and a half cooped up in their building and it has definitely had an effect on Peter. Despite the potential danger, Bucky can tell how much he is enjoying being out in the world again. 

He’s glad, because Peter hasn’t had much enjoyment in these last weeks. He and Tony still aren’t talking. They aren’t sleeping in the same room. They aren’t even working together anymore. Stark barely leaves their penthouse, instead spending his days locked alone in his study drinking, leaving his husband feeling desolate and forlorn. It’s gotten so bad that there have been a few times that Peter has wandered down to sleep in Bucky’s apartment for the night just so he doesn’t have to be alone. The soldier wants to help, he’s even thought about trying to talk to Tony directly, but he doesn’t feel that it’s his place to get involved in their marriage, instead he just tries to be as supportive as he can for his boyfriend.

As a group of German tourists make their way past, the men step inside the eclectic shop. Bucky immediately heads for the display of cats waving him over to resume his search. Peter, who appears sick of looking at cat statues, instead makes his way towards a section of older antiques in the back. As the soldier scours the feline offerings, he is disappointed that, yet again, he doesn’t find exactly what he’s looking for. 

Giving it up as a bad job, he seeks out his boyfriend and locates him eyeing a wide variety of cinnabar vases and urns grouped together on a shelf in the far corner of the shop.

“These are nice,” Bucky observes, making his presence known.

Peter is intently admiring a specific pair of the deep red stone containers in front of him and doesn’t look up. The duo he’s inspecting are a set of identical lidded urns that feature intricately carved detail accented with gold, taller than anything else on the shelf, wider, grander, each one proudly standing on a black pedestal. 

“Look at these,” he says excitedly. “They’re the perfect birthday present! Tony will…”

The younger man sags as reality hits him. The thrill and excitement vanish from his eyes, replaced instead by the pain of the rift between him and his husband. It’s clear that he isn’t actually sure he’ll be getting Tony a birthday gift at all this year and the sight of that realization on his face is heartbreaking to see.

“Hey, you all right?” Bucky whispers, bringing a hand up to cuff his boyfriend’s neck for comfort. 

“Yeah,” Peter answers after a moment, plastering on an artificial smile. “I’m fine. Let’s just go.”

As they make their way back out to the street, the soldier scans his boyfriend’s face and it’s easy to see that the other man is trying to hide the depth of his anguish for Bucky’s sake, but on the inside, Peter is completely destroyed. 

That pain in the man’s eyes decides it for Bucky. His place or not, when he gets home, he’s going to have it out with Stark, he’s going to _make_ Tony see reason, and make sure that he himself never has to see that look in Peter’s eyes again.

.o0o.

Mindlessly navigating Manhattan traffic, Bucky is on edge, mind elsewhere. After dropping Peter off for dinner with his aunt, he'd headed back for their building. His boyfriend and May had both invited him to stay but, even though he knew he shouldn’t leave Peter alone with his stalker still out there, he’d made up an excuse and left, determined to talk to Tony - to pull Tony’s head out of his ass. By force if necessary.

As he pulls the Jaguar XF (one of the perks of the job) into the parking garage, Bucky wonders if what he is about to do is the right thing. Will Peter be upset with him for sticking his nose in their business? Will Tony get angry at his presumption to interfere? Or does he actually care if they care? Does he really care if he pisses both of them off so bad they never speak to him again, so long as they speak to each other again? 

Mind made up, Bucky resolutely exits the vehicle and heads straight up to the penthouse, making a b-line for Tony’s study.

Barging right in without even knocking, the soldier is stunned to a halt by what he sees. He expected Tony to be in a state, maybe looking a little worse for the wear, but the man before him is nothing but a hollow shell of his former self. The billionaire, hunched in front of a bank of monitors at his desk, looks sallow and dull. He is thin, it’s obvious that he hasn’t been eating. His eyes, that once sparkled mischievously, have been replaced by an empty stare surrounded by dark circles. 

Almost as concerning as the state of the occupant is the state of the room itself. The once comfortably messy but stately study looks like it's been taken over by a mad man. The walls are covered in photographs and newspaper clipping with red string strung about between them like so much Christmas ribbon. There are notation and nonsensical musing written all over. A giant whiteboard has been leaned against one wall and an indecipherable graph of sorts has been scrawled across it. A variety of empty liquor bottles are strewn all over, empty tumblers and highball glasses litter every surface.

For a moment Bucky just stands there, too shocked to even remember why he’s there.

He’d intended to waltz in and give Tony a piece of his mind, but seeing the other man like this causes his anger to fizzle and be replaced with genuine concern.

“Tony?” Bucky calls quietly, afraid to alarm him.

The billionaire doesn’t even seem to register that he’s been spoken to, so Bucky calls his name again, louder this time.

“Huh,” Tony startles.

“Hey, are you all right?” asks the soldier, coming closer.

“Where’s Peter?” the other wants to know, voice cracking from disuse as he speaks.

“He’s fine. He and Morgan are with May.” 

Tony nods slowly, not himself at all. The real Tony Stark doesn’t do anything slowly.

“I thought you were Rhodey.” he offers, apropos of nothing.

“Tony, Rhodes left yesterday,” Bucky informs him, growing truly uneasy for the welfare of the other man at this point. “Me, Pete, and Morgan drove him to Newburgh to hop a flight back to DC. He returned to duty.”

“Right,” Tony says after a moment.

Unable to take it anymore, Bucky steps behind the desk and places his hands on the other man’s shoulders.

“Tony, why don’t you come with me. Let’s get you something to eat.”

At that, the billionaire snaps out of his haze with a vengeance, shoving Bucky away and frantically rising to his feet as though ready to fight the other man off.

“No!” he shouts. “I’m not leaving this room!”

Taken aback, Bucky is stunned into silence by the sharp one-eighty things have just taken.

“I have to keep looking! There hasn’t been a peep from this guy in weeks, I have to find out where he is!”

“Okay, all right,” Bucky soothes, backing away. “I get it, you’re looking for answers. How ‘bout I go get you something to eat and bring it to you? That okay with you?”

“Whatever,” Tony waves disinterestedly, already returning to the array of screens.

Heading for the kitchen to make Tony a sandwich, Bucky knows what he needs to do. 

Pulling out his phone, he calls the only person he can think of to help.

“ _This is Pepper_ ,” the all-business voice answers on the other end of the line.

“Pepper, it’s Bucky, I gotta talk to you about Tony.”

_“What’s wrong?”_

“I don’t know. I’ve never seen him like this,” the soldier answers honestly, grabbing a loaf of bread from the cupboard. “He’s locked himself in his office, he won’t come out. He's not talking to Peter, he’s not eating, and there are empty liquor bottles all over the place.”

“ _Shit_ ,” Pepper mutters into the phone. “ _I’ve been covering for Tony with the SI affiliates in Asia for the last month, I had no idea things had gotten so bad. He hasn’t been like this since before he met Peter._ ”

“What do I do?” Bucky implores as he slices a tomato.

“ _You have to make him see reason_ ,” she answers after a long pause. “ _Tony doesn’t show it on the outside, but when he loves, he loves deeply. And the people he loves become the most important thing in his world, the thing he has to protect at all costs. He considers it his job. So, to him, he’s failed at his job to protect not only the person he loves the most, but Jarvis, too. My guess is that he's become obsessed with finding this guy, you have to make him see that this isn’t his fault and he can't spend his days hunting for the person responsible._ ”

“And how exactly am I supposed to do that?” he asks sardonically as he spreads mayonnaise across the bread.

Before Pepper can answer, Bucky hears a polite voice speaking Cantonese ask for her attention in the background.

“ _You’ll have to figure that part out yourself, I have to go_ ,” and with that, Pepper hangs up.

Sighing as he presses the sandwich together, Bucky heads back to the study with no idea how to get through to the other man.

“Eat,” he orders, putting the plate down on the desk.

Pulling up a chair, the soldier takes a seat and waits for Tony to obey.

The other man is hesitant to acquiesce, but finally grabs the offering in irritation. 

In the blink of an eye the sandwich is gone and Tony is picking crumbs off the plate, obviously famished.

“I’ll make you a deal,” Bucky offers, perhaps seeing a way to get through to him. “I’ll make you another sandwich if you'll listen to a story.”

“Fine,” Tony agrees begrudgingly. “But only because you make a mean sandwich, not because I want to hear your stupid story,” he adds, sounding a little more like himself.

Bucky pops to the kitchen, whips together another sandwich, and is back in a flash.

“You eat, I’ll talk,” he instructs as he sits back down.

“What I’m about to tell you, I’ve never told anyone ever,” the soldier begins, looking Tony in the eye seriously. “It’s classified, but I’m trusting that your clearance is high enough.

“There was this black op in… well, it doesn’t matter where we were, all you need to know is that it was cold as balls. It was a night op and the team was split into groups of two for recon. We’re all in snow camo, up on this mountain near a remote village, and I get teamed up with this kid, Jonathan, a baby-faced little shit we called Junior. He was a good kid, just young, green, real gung-ho -- you know the type -- so I wasn’t exactly looking forward to our night together.

“We were assigned to make a loop on the southeast side of the village and, when we headed out, he started yacking and kept it up the whole way. As I found out, Junior’d just gotten married and he and his wife were expecting their first baby, a boy, and they were trying to decide on a name. Well, after listening to the pros and cons of Jackson versus Aiden for twenty minutes straight, I pretty much checked out. I was exhausted and just trying to get through the night so I could get back to my warm bunk and some peace and quiet.

“A little while later, he was still rattling on about baby-related shit as we passed this burned out shack that didn’t look like it’d seen a human in decades. I was in the lead, he was bringing up the rear, and as we passed the structure, all the sudden it went quiet. It took me a second to even realize that it was because he stopped talking. I whipped around to see what was going on and… Let’s just say that snow camo doesn’t do much to hide blood.

“See, I wasn't tuned out and I didn’t clear the shack like I was supposed to, but Junior did. As he walked by he stuck his head inside to clear it and there was a booby trap. Razor wire. Slit his throat. He bled out right in front of me laying in the snow.”

“The worst part was it was black op, so he ended up listed Missing In Action. His family never got to know the truth. His kid never got to know what happened to his dad. Never even got to meet him.”

“Jesus Christ,” Tony mutters under his breath. “That’s awful, but why are you telling me?”

“It was my fault, Tony,” the soldier says earnestly. “Straight up, no excuses, no bull shit - I didn’t do my job and Junior paid the price. And I will carry the guilt about that night with me for the rest of my life. I got lost in it for a while and almost let it overtake me, because, when it was all said and done, it. Was. My. Fault. This?” the soldier asks, indicating the chaos around them. “None of this is your fault. You're letting yourself get pulled under about something that you have no power over.”

“How can you say that?” the other man asks vehemently. “Peter is my family, it’s my responsibility -- my _duty_ \-- to protect him. To make sure things like this don’t happen to him.”

“How are you going to protect him if you've lost him, Tony?” Bucky inquires bluntly.

This stuns the man into silence, jolting him as though he had just been slapped across the face.

“Because that’s where this is heading,” Bucky keeps going. “You’re so focused on protecting him and finding this guy that you’ve forgotten that Peter needs you right now. He’s afraid. Of what’s happening, of what this guy did to Jarvis, but more than any of that, he’s afraid that you’re slipping away.”

“ _What_?” Tony pleads breathlessly, horrified by what he’s just heard. “How could he think that? He’s everything to me, he could never lose me.” 

“When is the last time you talked to him, Tony? You spend all your time locked in this room. You don’t go to the Tower with him. You don’t sleep in your bed anymore. What is he supposed to think? He needs you right now and you’re a million miles away in the same apartment.”

“Oh my god,” the billionaire exclaims, jumping to his feet. “I have to talk to him. Right now. I have to make this right.”

“Come on then,” Bucky says, grinning as he grabs the car keys. “Let’s go get him.”

They head out right away and drive to Queens in a relatively companionable silence, Tony too lost in his own mind to maintain much conversation.

As the pair pull up in front of May’s building and Bucky cuts the engine, Tony grabs his wrist before he can get out of the vehicle.

“This isn’t the first time I’ve said this to you, but thank you,” the man says intently, staring deeply into Bucky’s eyes.

“Uh-huh,” he stupidly replies after a pause, distracted by the fire he feels radiating through him where Tony’s hand holds his wrist.

The two men get caught in each other’s gaze and stare a little too long. When their eyes finally break apart they shuffle awkwardly in their seats, both unsure what to say.

“Umm… let’s head inside then,” Bucky says, decidedly not looking at Tony.

“Yep, sounds good,” the billionaire nods stiffly, reaching for his door handle.

Making their way to the front door, Bucky hits the buzzer and then steps back, leaving Tony alone in the doorway.

Peter opens the door still looking over his shoulder at May and Morgan who are coming up behind him.

“Hey, baby,” Tony calls quietly.

His husband gasps and whips his head around as he registers the voice he just heard.

“Tony,” he mutters, expression caught somewhere between hope, apprehension, and longing.

Without even thinking, the older man steps forward and yanks Peter into a bone-crushing embrace.

“I’m sorry, Pete. I’m so sorry. I got a little lost but Bucky helped me find my way back. I’m here now,” Tony promises ardently into his husband’s ear.

Grabbing onto the other man’s neck like a life raft on a stormy sea, Peter sobs into the hold.

“I’ve missed you so much,” he cries into Tony’s neck.

As the two cradle one another, lost in each other’s arms, Bucky begins to feel uncomfortable, like he’s intruding on a private moment. May, still standing in the doorway with Morgan in her arms, seems to feel the same.

“You want to come inside for a little while?” she quietly offers, wiping a happy tear from the corner of her eye at the reunion before them.

“Thank you, ma'am, I'd like that,” Bucky nods.

Moving to step around the still-embracing pair, Bucky is stopped when Peter places a hand on his chest.

“You did this,” he lovingly accuses, turning to look at the other man while remaining firmly in his husband’s hold. “I don't even know where to begin to thank you.”

With that, he leans in and kisses Bucky soundly.

Pulling away a moment later at the sound of May closing the door behind them, the soldier realizes that, without his knowledge, he has been drawn into the embrace, as well. 

No one moves to break away. As time passes, the three men just stand there in each other’s arms like it’s the most natural thing in the world. And maybe it is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a key transition, y'all. The ball is really going to start rolling after this. Things are going to get crazy. Hope you are ready!!!
> 
> As always, comments and kudos are appreciated more than you know. Thanks for leaving them! XO


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another late update. I would apologise, but this time it couldn't be helped. My dog's health has taken an unexpectedly declined and he is dying. I've had to put writing aside for a moment and focus on him. He won't be with me much longer. Kind thoughts, good vibes, and prayers would be greatly appreciated, he is my best friend and it will be difficult to lose him.
> 
> This chapter was originally intended to be twice as long. The first half was already written before my dog's decline, and while I tried to trudge along and finish the second half, my heart wasn't in it right now and the quality was not something I was willing to settle for. So, chapter 14 will actually be chapter 13.5.
> 
> There will be no update next week, as I will taking some personal time. But I anticipate being back to my regular posting schedule the week after.

“Should we do it?”

“Ya!”

“Are you sure?”

“Ya, ya!”

“Okay… Shhh…”

Holding Morgan tightly, with a conspiratorial wink, Bucky swims to the edge of the dock as quietly as possible. Peter and Tony are lounging in chaises beneath the umbrella there, too engrossed in making out to notice their approach.

Repositioning the baby to his flesh arm, the soldier pulls back the metal one and swings it around with all his might, letting loose a tidal wave of a splash across the dock and its occupants.

Sputtering and squawking, the men pull apart, drenched from head to toe.

Morgan, delighted with herself as the mastermind behind the saturated state of her fathers, laughs gleefully and claps her hands, applauding her own genius.

“Was this your brilliant idea, young lady?” Tony asks in a mockingly stern tone as he grabs a towel to dry his t-shirt.

“Ya!” she squeals, clapping her hands again.

“That’s your child,” Peter interjects accusingly, grinning as he wipes his face dry.

“And I suppose you had nothing at all to do with what just happened?” the billionaire alleges in Bucky's direction, ignoring his husband’s comment.

“Who, me?” Bucky points to himself innocently. “I would never…”

“Mm-hm,” Tony smirks derisively. 

“Come here, Morgan. It’s time for a nap,” Peter calls, standing to reach for his daughter.

“No!”

“Come on, sweetie, you’ve had a big day in the water with Bucky, it’s time to get some rest,” Tony tries.

“No! ‘Key, No!” the little girl implores, turning to cling to Bucky’s neck.

Knowing full well that he is wrapped around her little fingers with no help for it, the soldier turns desperately to her parents, unable to stop from melting to her whims as she clings to him.

“What if ‘Key puts you down?” Peter offers, using her name for Bucky, as, despite her advanced vocabulary of a handful of words, his full name is still beyond her skill level.

“Ya, ya! ‘Key, ‘Key!” Morgan agrees, enthusiastically grabbing Bucky's face to squeeze it in approval of the new plan.

“Okay, okay,” the soldier laughs as he extricates her little hands from his face and climbs the ladder out of the water.

Grabbing a towel and drying himself and Morgan, Bucky turns, only to catch Tony appreciatively raking his eyes across his swimwear clad posterior.

Unapologetic at being caught, the billionaire just shrugs with a lewd grin.

In the nearly two months they’ve been at the cabin, he and Tony have flirted like this often, but nothing has come of it. At least not yet.

After the night he’d taken Tony to May’s, they had all sat down in her living room and had a long talk. Eventually, a compromise had been reached. Tony agreed to step back and get some perspective, admitting that he’d let himself get too caught up in the hunt for the stalker. Peter, in turn, agreed to spend the summer safely at the cabin if Tony, Morgan, and Bucky came with him and made it a vacation of it. The following week, they’d packed up, and with Happy in tow, headed for Seneca Lake. 

Almost immediately after arriving things between Peter and Tony had gotten back to normal. Maybe even better. They couldn’t keep their hands off each other. Of course, it could have something to do with May’s suggestion that they talk to someone about everything that had happened. Bucky’d reached out to his old Army buddy, Sam -- a counselor with the VA -- and gotten some names of counselors with high level clearance on their behalf. While Bucky never asked any questions about it, he knew the pair were having weekly tele-sessions and it seemed to be deepening their connection. 

However, the re-ignition of Peter’s relationship with Tony hadn’t put a damper on things with Bucky. They were still going strong. They made sure to find time alone with each other, played together with Morgan, had pseudo date nights in the little village nearby, and still had plenty of mind-blowing sex. Sex that was, interestingly enough, just for the two of them, as the cabin wasn’t wired with recording equipment. Bucky wasn’t quite sure what that meant, or what it meant that he missed knowing Tony was watching them together, like the billionaire was a part of things, too. 

Shrugging off that train of thought before it gets him in trouble, Bucky merely winks at Tony and, still holding Morgan, heads for the outdoor shower to rinse the lake water off before heading inside. 

The little girl is already fading fast and is starting to doze in his arms while Bucky pretends that that doesn’t turn his heart straight to jello. 

What has surprised the soldier the most in their time upstate has been how close he’s gotten to Morgan. Really how close he’s been allowed to get. Having kept her a closely guarded secret her whole life, Bucky figured her fathers would be overprotective and standoffish about anyone spending time with her, but he was wrong. She and Bucky play everyday. Her favorite game is to gather all of her magnetic toys and stick them to his arm. It makes her cackle everytime. Bucky loves it, he never gets tired of playing with her. It’s often the highlight of his entire day.

Taking Morgan to her room, the soldier gets her changed into dry clothes and lays her down in the crib, tucking her in with the little stuffed cat he’d gotten for her. 

As she drifts off to sleep, he stands there watching her for a long time. Watching her peaceful face, the rise and fall of her breathing, the subtle movements she makes as she begins to dream. If he let himself, he could stand there and watch her sleep all day. The feelings it evokes inside him are strong, almost primal. He knows that he would do anything for this little girl, lay down his life for her if need be. Being around her is the closest he may ever get to being a father, and he cherishes their time together because who knows how long it may last.

Feeling a presence behind him, Bucky is pulled from his thoughts and looks over to see Tony leaning against the door frame. The man appears to be looking at him, not the baby. There’s an inscrutable look on his face that the soldier can’t quite read.

“Hey,” Bucky whispers, feeling a little guilty for standing there watching the man’s child sleep.

“Hey,” Tony replies nonchalantly, walking up to stand next to him. “She’s something, isn’t she?”

“Yeah, she really is.”

With that simple exchange, the peace of the room and the sleeping child therein lulls them into a companionable silence as minutes pass by.

“She loves, you know,” Tony quietly offers out of the blue.

Turning to peer at the other man with a quizzical look on his face, Bucky gets the distinct feeling that Tony isn’t only talking about the baby and isn’t sure what to make of that.

“I love her, too” he answers in all honesty, daring to match the double entendre.

Tony assesses him intently as he says the words and, judging by the pleased grin that graces his face, likes what he hears.

Bucky doesn’t quite know why, but this makes him smile in return.

As the two men beam at each other their eyes lock and it’s as though the months of build-up finally come to a head when, without even thinking, they begin to lean in, being pulled to each other. As they draw closer, that same now-familiar intensity flares up until… 

Morgan whimpers in her sleep and they are startled apart.

They both huff silently in laughter, amused at the absurd circumstances of the moment. But, when the laughter dies down, the intensity returns, their breath picking up as the same force pulls them right back towards each other. This time, as their lips are almost touching- 

Peter walks in the door, again startling them apart.

Attention on the phone held in his hand, the younger man doesn’t notice the other two hastily separate.

“Buck, you left your phone on the dock and it just went off,” Peter whispers, looking up and handing the phone to its owner.

“Okay, thanks,” Bucky responds a little too nonchalantly as he stands there unsure of what to say or do now that his boyfriend has walked in on him nearly kissing his husband.

“You guys hungry?” Tony asks as a distraction, seeming a little uncomfortable himself.

“I could eat,” Peter says, giving no indication that he’s picked up on the undercurrent between the other men.

“Great! Burgers good? I’m going to go fire up the grill.” the older man states, heading out of the room without waiting for a response.

“Guess he’s hungry,” Bucky chuckles.

“Oh, I don’t think that had anything to do with food,” Peter informs him with a salacious smile, leaning in to kiss the shocked look off the soldier's face at his knowing comment.

As Peter follows Tony out of the room, Bucky shakes his head to clear it. He should have known better than to think his boyfriend would miss the tension between him and Tony, Peter never missed anything. If only he knew what to make of his reaction…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With everything going on, I did not take the time to edit this like I usually do. Apologies for any mistakes.
> 
> As always, comments and kudos are so appreciated. Especially now. Dropping me a line to let me know what you think would be a very welcome distraction. Thank you!


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update on my dog: Thank you so much to everyone that commented and sent out good vibes for my dog, it meant the world to me. He hasn't passed yet, he's lingering and isn't doing all that well. It's an awful waiting game at this point. He's too well to have him put to sleep, but sick enough it's clear that he will never be well again. This last week has been really hard, but having this story and all of you, my loyal readers, has helped more than you all will ever know. Thank you so much for reading and caring. <3
> 
> This is technically Chapter 13.5, as it the remainder of the chapter I posted last week. It picks up immediately after the events in Chapter 13. A lot goes down, hope you are ready! Let me know what you think in the comments!!!

Standing on the back patio next to the impressive outdoor cooking setup, Bucky finally checks his phone and laughs out loud at what he sees.

Steve, for his birthday, has taken Peggy to Atlantic City for a long holiday weekend. It’s their first getaway together and his best friend is so excited. The big guy has sent a selfie of the two lounging on the beach in their revealing swimsuits, and the overeager grin on his face combined with the bright white sun cream Peggy must have spread across his nose juxtaposed against his girlfriend’s ever-present English poise has the soldier chuckling.

“Who’s the beefcake?” Tony asks in a slightly possessive tone, unashamedly peering at Bucky’s phone over his shoulder from his position manning the grill.

“Why do you want to know?” Peter interjects with playful suspicion as he appears at the back door with a plate of brats to add to the fire.

“I’m just asking,” his husband responds, defensively putting his hands up as he turns back to flip the burgers.

The younger man sets the brats down on the counter next to his husband and walks over to Bucky, brazenly taking the phone from his hand to see the image for himself.

“Oooh, someone’s looking good,” he smirks, intentionally goading Tony. “What’s the occasion?”

“Today’s his birthday” Bucky smiles, playing along even though he’s not sure of the game.

“Wait, Captain Steve Rogers was born on The Fourth of July?” Peter asks, laughing incredulously. “That’s too perfect.”

“Well, it sounds like this Steve is pretty damn perfect all the way around,” Tony snarks.

“Don’t mind him, Buck, he’s just jealous,” Peter audaciously informs him.

“Jealous?!” his husband incredulously retorts. “Me?!”

“Yes, you, my darling dearest, the most possessive man I know.”

“Possessive, he says. Did you hear that, Hap? I’m _possessive_ ,” Tony rants, involving the unsuspecting Happy who has just stepped outside, returning from his trip to the village to pick up the mail.

“Well, I wouldn’t know anything about that, boss,” he placates easily. “But I do know that you got a package and I put it inside in the kitchen.”

Potential quarrel averted, the billionaire turns back to the grill with a huff while Peter just leans against the counter, smirking as though their little spat has confirmed a hunch for him.

Confused by what just happened and not wanting to rile anyone back up, Bucky grabs a beer from the outdoor fridge and takes a seat in one of the Adirondack chairs on the other side of the patio, facing the lake.

“Penny for your thoughts,” his boyfriend says after coming up behind him to playfully muss his hair.

“Just enjoying the view,” the soldier states, knowing his voice betrays the lie.

“You look awfully perplexed for someone just taking in the picturesque setting,” Peter counters as he seats himself next to his boyfriend.

“I’m just not really sure what that was all about,” Bucky admits.

“That little squabble? I told you, Tony’s jealous,” the younger man reiterates with a delighted grin.

“Of us?” Bucky asks, even more confused. “That doesn't make any sense, he’s the one that recruited me for this.”

“No, baby, he’s not jealous of you with me, he’s jealous of me with you,” Peter explains plainly.

“What?!”

“He wants you, Buck.” 

The soldier is dumbfounded by that statement. Sure, he and Tony have flirted, and there was their almost kiss earlier, but it never occurred to him that Stark actually _wanted_ him, he just thought the billionaire was having a little fun. But, damn, if he doesn’t want that man right back, and that has him more confused than even.

“He just won’t make a move because he’s worried that it will make things too complicated,” Peter continues, oblivious to Bucky’s internal shock. “What with you and me being public, Morgan, a stalker on the loose. There’s a lot going on right now.”

Bucky doesn’t know how he feels about everything Peter just said. Of course, it makes perfect sense, as does Tony’s reticence, it would be irresponsible of them to start something, but that doesn’t stop him from being profoundly disappointed at the thought of missing out on a thing with Tony.

“What are you two over here talking about?” Tony asks curiously as he walks over.

“Oh, nothing,” Peter answers lightly.

“Well, you can stop talking about me, the food’s ready,” the billionaire haughtily informs them with a cheeky grin.

As Peter and Bucky make their way over to the table, Happy returns to the back door with Morgan in his arms, having just woken up from her nap, and they all five sit down to enjoy a nice dinner in the summer sunshine.

Any confusion and tension is forgotten as they talk and laugh over the patriotic feast. Bucky hasn’t spent much time with Happy and enjoys seeing the way he and his employer interact. The nanny, as Tony’s oldest friend, is completely unafraid to tell the billionaire what’s on his mind and the two spend most of the meal provoking each other, leaving everyone in stitches. 

The sun is beginning to dip in the sky by the time they finish up and Happy takes Morgan inside to put her to bed before heading out to enjoy a night off.

Left alone, the three remaining men make their way out to the dock again as dusk rapidly fades to darkness. 

While the cabin is in a remote area, every year the locals make a point to put on a fabulous fireworks display to celebrate Independence Day. The dock has the best views.

Assuring Bucky that the baby’s room has state of the art soundproofing and she won’t hear a thing, Peter takes a seat, reclining on the two-person chaise, and pulls Bucky down next to him. Tony doesn’t seem to mind and deposits himself on a lounger to his husband’s other side. 

As the fireworks commence, the younger man intertwines his fingers with Bucky’s, leaning into him, the soldier assumes to relax and enjoy the show, until Peter begins leaving a trail of heated, open-mouth kisses down the side of his neck while dragging the other hand through the sparse hair along his chest intently. 

Completely caught off guard at the unexpected turn things have taken, Bucky looks over to sees the bright sparks of red, white, and blue cascading across the sky illuminate Tony’s eyes as he stares, unblinking, with rapt, hungry ardor at what's unfolding before him.

Suddenly, without warning, Peter slings a leg over his boyfriend’s thighs and plants himself firmly in the man’s lap, capturing his lips in a scorching kiss.

“Is this okay?” the younger man breathlessly whispers into the soldier’s mouth.

Unable to speak, the soldier quickly nods his approval before he lets himself think of the ramifications, what this could actually mean for all of them.

At that, in tandem, both men look to Tony, wordlessly asking the same question.

The billionaire’s mouth is slightly agape, signature quick wit vanished at the prospects of what might be to come. It seems to take the man a long moment to remember how to speak.

“Yeah,” is all he says, voice rough.

Needing no further go ahead, Peter reaches into the pocket of his shorts as he shucks them off and pulls out a tiny bottle of lube like he prepared for this moment, intending to ambush his boyfriend in his husband’s presence.

Recapturing Bucky’s lips, without looking the younger man slicks up his fingers and reaches around to finger his own hole in preparation.

The soldier can feel it happening and makes no move to assist, loving the feeling of Peter writhing on top of him and quietly groaning into his mouth. The sensation is only heightened by the sounds of Tony’s accelerated breathing next to them.

As his boyfriend continues to work himself open, Bucky breaks their kiss when the need for oxygen wins out, but refuses to let his lips leave the other man’s skin and proceeds to trail kisses down Peter’s neck to his chest. In their time together, the soldier has learned that the younger man has exceptionally sensitive nipples, so he puts that knowledge to good use, pulling one of the already pebbled buds into his mouth and sucking none too gently. The gasp he gets in return spurns him to repeat motion on the opposite side, swirling his tongue around the other nipple before grazing it with his teeth.

The assault on his chest combined with titillation of Tony's presence looks to have Peter positively beside himself with want. Bucky isn’t much better. And, judging by the harsh panting coming from his left, neither is Tony.

“Fuck me, I’m ready,” Peter chokes out, thrusting the bottle of lube into Bucky chest.

The soldier doesn’t hesitate, slicking up his cock, he grabs his boyfriend’s hips and lines himself up to let Peter sink down at his own pace, gasping at the sensation once he’s fully sheathed.

To keep from causing his partner any unnecessary pain due to his hasty prep, Bucky has to put all of his Special Forces training to use to _make_ himself stay still, to stop from thrusting up into the tantalizing, warm, velvety tightness of his boyfriend’s channel.

Gasping and shaking with the need to move, to distract himself, the soldier grabs Peter’s face and roughly kisses his lips with bruising force, sucking and biting at his lower lip in the process.

Something about his rough treatment of the younger man’s mouth must meet with Tony approval, because, as they crush each other’s lips, Bucky hears a groan emanate from the billionaire’s direction.

At the sound, Peter pulls back and begins to move as he grinds his hips in titillatingly slow circles.

Seeming to enjoy teasing his boyfriend, the younger man continues the easy grind for a long time before finally pulling himself up to start riding Bucky’s cock in earnest.

By this point, the soldier is nearing desperation, planting his feet and clutching the other man’s hips to eagerly lunge up and meet each thrust.

As their pace increases -- along with the volume of their groaning, moaning, and panting -- Peter, seeming to sense that Bucky is getting close, leans in and kisses the soldier passionately once more before grabbing his chin and turning his face to make him look at Tony.

“See what you did,” he says, describing the sight that greets Bucky.

The older man is debauched, there is no other way to put it. Face flushed, dripping in sweat, Tony looks as wrecked as Bucky feels. At some point the billionaire has freed his cock from the confines of his shorts and his hand is aggressively stripping his length.

When the soldier finally locks eyes with Tony, that’s all it takes. The wild, wanton look he finds there is enough to push Bucky right over the edge into a mind blowing orgasm.

Crying out, he grabs Peter hips hard enough to leave marks as his mind whites out in pure ecstasy.

Before Bucky can even start to think again, he hears Peter’s voice pierce through the fog of his mind with a sharp command.

“Don’t come,” he barks.

For a brief, humorous moment, the soldier thinks the order is meant for him and his boyfriend somehow missed that spectacular climax, but as the post-orgasmic haze clears, he realizes that Peter was talking to Tony.

Extricating himself from Bucky’s lap, dick still rigid and nearly purple in need, the younger man roughly grabs his husband by the collar of the shirt he still wears and brings their mouths together.

In a wordless dance of familiar experience that can only be achieved through long term connection, the two men seem to know exactly what the other needs and wants without the need to speak.

Responding enthusiastically to Peter’s kiss, Tony pulls his husband to the edge of the chaise and, without preamble, leans forward and plunges his cock into the younger man’s abused hole as Bucky’s jizz is still slowly leaking out.

Both men cry out at the sensation as Tony sets a brutal pace, recklessly chasing his own pleasure.

Panting and trembling, Peter blindly stretches out a hand behind him, searching. 

Without thinking, Bucky reaches out to grab hold of it, grounding the younger man.

Clinging to the soldier’s hand, Peter presses his forehead into Tony’s, gazing into his husband’s eyes. And something about that simple act is so intimate that, as Bucky looks on, he feels like he’s intruding on a private moment and should look away.

Seeming to sense his hesitation, Peter turns his head and yanks his hand, pulling Bucky close to kiss him senseless as Tony continues to pound his ass.

Watching the two men kiss while he fucks his husband seems to be Tony’s undoing, as he slams into Peter once more before his body goes completely rigid and he comes with a pained grunt.

Not even taking the time to ride out his aftershocks, as soon as the older man comes, he pulls out and dives down to start eating his husband’s ass like it’s his last meal on earth. Bucky can see the combination of Tony spend and his own dripping from his boyfriend’s gaping hole and groans as the billionaire licks it up, feeling his dick valiantly try to come back to life at the sight.

As the older man feasts on his husband’s ass, the soldier brings his hand up and starts to pump the younger man’s cock leaving him writhing in ecstasy at the dual sensation.

Continuing the onslaught, together Bucky and Tony bring Peter over the edge, finally making him come with a guttural cry that echoes across the water as he twitches into the soldier’s grasp and grips his husband’s hair so hard it must be painful.

All completely spent by their exploits, they quietly sit back for a while and catch their breath.

Eventually, after hastily using discarded towels from earlier in the day to clean up, they gather their things and head inside.

Having not known what to expect, Bucky is truly surprised at the lack of awkwardness as they walk back to the house engaging in casual conversation, no one feeling the need to discuss what just happened.

As they enter the main room of the cabin, Tony goes to look in on Morgan. They’ve had the baby monitor with them the whole time, but he still wants to check in on her.

Peter and Bucky make their way to the kitchen and, as Bucky grabs three bottles of water from the refrigerator for them, Peter takes a look at the package Happy left on the counter after his trip to the post office.

Bucky can see that it’s addressed to Tony, but the younger man opens it anyway as his husband comes back from checking on the baby.

“Honey, did you really need an entire box full of peanut brittle?” Peter asks, sounding lovingly exasperated by what he finds inside the package.

“What?” Tony responds, confused. “I didn’t order any peanut brittle.”

“Well, this box is here with your name on it and it’s completely full of that old-timey brand that you’re obsessed with.”

Stepping over to see for himself, Tony looks genuinely perplexed.

“Sweetheart, I haven’t ordered anything. Even I can’t eat that much sugar.” 

“Well, where did this come from then?” Peter wants to know, beginning to sound concerned.

Bucky, who had stepped over to sneak a bite for himself, reaches into the box only to find a card buried amidst the confections.

“This is addressed to you,” he says, handing the envelope to Tony.

Hastily tearing it open, the billionaire rapidly skims the inscription before dropping the card as though it’s about to catch fire.

“Oh my god, we have to go,” he says, stunned, darting out of the room without another word.

“What? What’s going on?” Peter frantically asks after him.

Picking up the card, the younger man reads the message aloud.

“Dear Tony, I’ve missed you. I know you must have missed me, too. I thought I’d send you some of your favorite treats to remind you how well I know you. And show you that I’m a better match for you, for SI, than that _interloper_. 

“We've always worked so well together, Tony, and we will again. Soon. I’ll be a much better collaborator than the charlatan you’re associating with now. He is ignorant, uneducated, and unworthy of your time, resources, and attention. 

“I know he has you fooled and confused, but don’t worry, Tony, I’ll take care of it. Take care of him. We’ll be in the lab together again soon.

“Yours truly, You Know Who.”

Bucky and Peter look at each other dumbstruck. This changes everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMG!!! So much stuff!!! Shameless flirting, a threesome, a shocking twist from the stalker... What will happen in Chapter 15?! 
> 
> As always, kudos and comments make me feel loved, leave them often. Please and thank you!!!


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to take a second to sincerely thank you all for reading this story. It has come along at a time in my life that I really needed to have this outlet and has helped me so much on a personal and creative level. For you to be out there in the world reading my words fills me with so much joy and appreciation. 
> 
> Three days ago my dog crossed the rainbow bridge. If you've been following along, he wasn't getting any better and it had become clear that he was suffering, so I made the difficult to decision to have him put down. For all of you who have reached out and commented your support during this time, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I don't really have a support system right now and to know that you, who only know me from reading my random fanfic on the internet, care about me and my dog has helped more than you will ever now. <3
> 
> This chapter (that, luckily I was able to get finished before my dog passed) is mostly smut and takes a turn... (Not the one your thinking) Can't wait to hear what you all think! Leave a comment and let me know!!!

Seated in the floor of Tony and Peter’s living room -- well, now _his_ living room, too -- Bucky adjusts the purple conical party hat sitting atop his head and outstretches his arms to catch a certain giggling toddler as she waddles over on shaky legs to topple into his lap as her parents chase after her in slow motion with indulgent smiles on their faces.

Today is Morgan’s first birthday and, despite everything, Tony and Peter are throwing her a party to mark the occasion and make it feel as normal as possible.

The adults at the small gathering are all tense and on edge but trying their best to hide it for the little girl’s sake.

It’s been exactly four weeks to the day since the Fourth of July, since the package came and they packed up in the middle of the night to high-tail it back to Manhattan. A lot has changed in that time.

On the way back to the city Bucky had learned that nothing related to the cabin was in Tony’s name, it was all listed under a shell company that held a couple of private properties for him, and only a handful of people even knew the place existed. For a package addressed to him to have shown up there, someone had to have done some serious digging and been able to uncover the truth, hence the hasty exit. 

As soon as they’d gotten back to the city, Tony had had an epic freak out over that fact. Despite having no idea who ‘You Know Who’ was or what they meant by ‘back together again,’ he blamed himself for everything. Naturally. For Peter and Morgan being in danger, for not having been able to catch this psycho, for him finding their location, all of it. It had taken the combined efforts of Peter, Bucky, May, Pepper, and Rhodey to calm him down enough to keep him from spinning out of control again, and it had been by the skin of their teeth. The man didn't take the latest development well, at all.

Barely holding on to his calm, Tony had insisted that Bucky be moved into their penthouse immediately so he could be closer to Peter and Morgan at all times. That same night, the soldier had brought his clothes and toiletries up and taken a room across the hall from Peter and Tony, adjacent to Morgan.

The next day, at Peter’s insistence, the FBI had been updated to the new development and, to everyone’s immense displeasure, they had finally been made aware of Morgan’s existence. Despite Agent Hill and Coulson’s adamant reassurances that her secret was safe with them, no one was happy about the agents knowing. It was just one more way that her safety could be compromised.

Another major change that had occurred in the last month was Tony -- at Rhodey’s insistence -- bringing in a new Head of Personal Security, a former Air Force badass by the name of Carol Danvers, sometimes referred to by call sign - Avenger. She was a formidable, no nonsense presence that was now always around in the periphery, protecting from the background. 

At first, Bucky hadn’t known how to feel about Danvers being brought in, wondering if Tony was doubting his capabilities and blaming him for the breach at the cabin, but slowly he’d realized that it was actually the opposite. Tony seemed to trust him implicitly, always making sure that Bucky was kept up to speed about everything; the stalker, the investigation, their personal schedules, looping him in on pertinent emails -- hell, even moving him into their own home. The soldier had come to understand that the man hadn’t brought Avenger in because he thought Bucky wasn’t up to the task, he’d brought her in to back Bucky up, even though, in the subsequent time since Independence Day, there had been no word from ‘You Know Who.” Not one peep, a single taunt, no emails, no photographs, no packages, no digital footprint, nothing. The silence had them all more on edge than ever.

But fears and concerns aside, today’s celebration was about Morgan and everyone is putting on a smile to make sure she has the best birthday possible. 

Along with her dads and Bucky keeping Morgan occupied in the living room, Pepper and Happy are in the dining area, laser-focused on arranging a platter of elaborate purple and silver unicorn cupcakes, Aunt May is cheerily whipping up a bowl of punch in the kitchen, Danvers is nearby attempting to help, though she looks more than a little uncomfortable in the culinary setting, and Rhodey’s smiling face can be seen as he watches the festivities from an ultra-secure video link on base. All of Morgan’s family is present and accounted for, ready to celebrate the anniversary of her birth. 

As the party progresses, gifts are opened, and cake and punch enjoyed, Morgan seems to be having the time of her life. Laughing, squealing, and smiling, she clearly enjoys the wrapping paper more than her actual presents -- even Tony’s ridiculously over-the-top, custom-built toddler PC -- but no one seems to mind, instead taking joy from her carefree happiness.

When things wind down, the guests head home as Happy takes a very tired, tuckered out Birthday Girl up to bed. 

And that's all it seems to take for the spell to be broken and reality to come crashing down around them again. Especially Tony.

Bucky, who’d stepped out to drop some trash down the shoot, walks back in to find the older man and his husband rehashing a now-familiar argument for what seems like the thousandth time over the course of the last month.

“Is this her future, Pete?” Tony demands. “Forever stuck in this penthouse, not able to go outside because she might get snatched up by some crazy, unknown stalker?!”

“Baby, it’s not always going to be like this,” Peter replies, running a soothing hand up and down the other man’s arm but sounding more unsure and frightened than anything. “We’re going to find this guy and she won’t always be trapped in here. She’ll be able to go outside, see the world, we’ll be able to give her all the things we’ve always talked about.”

“Peter’s right, Tony,” Bucky interjects vehemently, as though stating an empirical fact. “We’re _going_ to find this guy. We’re going to end this. For her. For Pete. For you.”

Something in the fierceness behind the soldier’s words seems to snap Tony out of his spiral. At least for now.

“Thanks, Buck,” the billionaire tells him in a small voice, seeming embarrassed by his emotional outburst. “I needed to hear that.”

“I meant every word.”

“Come on, babe, let’s go to bed, I'm exhausted,” Peter says, smiling at Bucky in thanks as he grabs hold of Tony’s hand and guides him up the stairs.

“Good night,” Bucky wishes them both.

“Night.”

“G’night.”

Watching the two tired, worried, worn out men ascend the stairs, Bucky decides he wants to do something to help them take their minds off of everything.

It’s been a hard month for all of them, but hardest on Tony and Peter. It’s rare for them to leave the apartment, they barely go to the Tower, Tony has pretty much completely handed over the running of SI to Pepper until this is over. They are stretched too thin and need a break. Even if it’s just for one night.

Knowing that they can’t just go out, take a weekend trip, get out of the city, even spend a night out on the town at the moment, Bucky comes up with an idea of what might just be the perfect way to let off a little steam, and they don’t even have to leave the building.

Pleased with his plan, the soldier pulls out his phone to text Happy and put things in motion.

.o0o.

In the kitchen of his old apartment that’s sat empty for the last month, Bucky has spent hours cooking up a storm. He is preparing quite the gourmet feast for Peter and Tony in hopes of giving them a nice night away from the stress of what’s happening.

Happy, being the wonderful human being that he is, agreed to stay upstairs with Morgan tonight -- as her fathers usually take over nightly baby duties -- leaving the two men free for the night.

While they don’t know what he has planned, Bucky texted Peter and Tony earlier asking them to join him downstairs at seven o’clock. Which is in just a few minutes.

Right on time, the lift dings just as the soldier finishes putting the food on the table.

“What’s all this, Buckaroo?” Tony asks with a surprised smile.

“This is Coq Au Vin, roasted red potatoes, arugula salad with lemon-olive oil dressing, french bread, and for dessert, creme brulee I got delivered from that French place you love, Pete.”

“Oh my god, you are an absolute angel,” Peter says, looking touched as he walks over to kiss his boyfriend’s cheek.

“He’s not wrong, soldier,” Tony adds softly, shifting as though he’d like to mimic his husband, but stopping himself, like always.

The strangest thing about the last few weeks has been the odd shift in the dynamic between the three of them. After the events on the dock their last night at the cabin, Bucky kind of thought that there might be a chance for him and Tony to explore the connection between them. Peter obviously had no problems with it, and after their threesome, the soldier hoped for something more intimate, but when things went down, the billionaire seemed to erect a barrier around Bucky that he was oh-so-careful never to cross.

It’s not like things hadn’t changed for the better after that night, they had. The three of them now had sex together often. It was an amazing stress reliever with all that was going on. Sometimes it was Bucky fucking Peter while Tony watched, sometime Tony fucking Peter while Bucky watched, a few times Tony and Bucky had taken turns fucking Peter, and one time -- one glorious night that would live in the soldier’s memory forever -- Peter fucked Tony while Bucky watched. But in all their exploits, Tony never once touched Bucky. Not even so much as a kiss or a hand on his cock. Tony was always so deliberate in never crossing that line with him. And as much as it frustrated Bucky, as much as he yearned for the older man to grab him by the hair and pull him into a rough kiss, longed for those calloused, skilled fingers to work his dick, he had to respect the line Tony had drawn. He never tried to cross it. He’d resigned himself to knowing that, if anything was ever to happen between them, it would be at Tony’s say so.

So, knowing that fooling around with Tony was off the table, the soldier still wanted to instigate something for the evening that would be a memorable distraction. The three men were, for the most part, excellent at communicating their wants, needs, and boundaries in the bedroom. So far, they’d talked about and explored several new things together; some roleplay, some moderate BDSM, a little light bondage. Well, it was all new to Bucky anyway, there wasn’t much that Tony and Peter hadn’t tried before in their respective sexual histories. But there was still one thing they had yet to attempt that they’d talked about in depth. He knew it was something they wanted to explore -- something _he_ wanted to explore -- but Bucky just hadn’t been ready yet. He felt ready now.

Taking their seats to enjoy the delectable meal the soldier had prepared, the three men make an effort to allow themselves to fully relax for the first time in a month. It works. Laughing and joking, they sit around the table talking for hours, not thinking about stalkers or threats or anything else looming over them, just being present in the moment, enjoying each other’s company.

As they polish off their second bottle of Pinot Noir, Tony makes to clear the table and offers to help clean up the mess in the kitchen.

“Leave it,” Bucky instructs, taking the plate out of the billionaire’s hand. “I have something else in mind for an after dinner activity.”

“Oh, and what might that be?” Tony asks, intrigued as he quirks an eyebrow.

“Give me twenty minutes and meet me in the playroom to find out,” Bucky smirks, making his exit.

He heads down the hall to his old room and goes straight to the bathroom. The soldier may never have done this before, but he’d been around enough to know what to do to prepare. Reaching under the sink, he pulls out the douche he bought earlier in the day and, after taking care of business, he hops in the shower for a thorough scrubbing. 

Clean and ready to go, Bucky doesn’t bother to put any clothes on. He just walks naked into the playroom, heading straight for the shelves on the far wall to find a certain toy he’s looking for, then arranges himself on the bed with the toy and lube in arms reach just as Tony and Peter enter the room.

“Looks like Christmas has come early,” Tony announces with a cheeky grin, his voice going husky.

“Does this mean we’ve been naughty or nice?” Peter inquires, staring unblinking at Bucky’s naked form.

“We’re definitely about to be naughty,” the soldier informs them.

“Oh?” the younger man challenges with salacious smirk.

Bucky stares at him, lascivious look on his face, for a long moment until he finally notices the item to the other man’s left. 

“ _Oh_!” Peter says again, face going slack as he realizes what his boyfriend has in mind.

“What ‘oh?’” Tony demands, missing his husband’s meaning.

Picking up the black, inverted “T” shaped, silicone novelty to show the older man, Bucky thoroughly enjoys watching Tony's eyes go wide as he finally catches on.

“Oh…”

“Yeah, oh.”

“Are you sure about this, honey?” Peter asks in a serious tone. “Last time we talked about it, you weren’t ready.”

“I’m sure. I’m ready. I want to do this. With you.”

Needing no further assurance, Peter hurriedly rips off his clothes before he crawls up the bed to capture Bucky’s mouth in a searing kiss.

Ardently returning the gesture, the soldier impatiently gropes blindly for the lube before thrusting it into his boyfriend’s hand.

Seeming to sense Bucky’s eagerness, the younger man grabs the lube and starts to slick up his finger. As the soldier watches, he unexpectedly feels nerves settle in. This is totally new to him and he doesn’t know what to expect. That's beginning to freak him out.

Despite having been gay his whole life, loving men, and loving sex with men, Bucky has never explored his ass. At all. For a queer boy from small town Indiana, it had always been a taboo that, if he’s honest with himself, he felt might somehow diminish his masculinity. As he’d gotten older, Bucky’d come to realize what a ridiculous, backwards, toxic, and downright homophobic way of thinking that was, but by that point in his life he was a soldier and, because of DADT, didn’t ever have anyone he could trust to explore the possibility with.

Trepidation must read on his face, because Peter pauses inches away from Bucky’s hole with a concerned look on his face.

“Buck?” he asks hesitantly.

Trepidation threatening to choke him, the soldier looks up at his boyfriend’s face only to see nothing but care and concern in his eyes. And that look, the look that says the other man is willing to stop in an instant with no questions asked if Bucky is uncomfortable, that look evaporates any fear and uncertainty immediately. He trusts Peter. He’s finally found someone to explore with, someone safe.

“Are you ready?” Peter wants to know.

Glancing over to look for Tony before responding, the soldier finds him, as expected, seated on the black leather loveseat, leaning back with his legs spread and an arm slung over the back, eyes dark, looking sexy as hell.

As they lock eyes, Bucky feels the same support come from the older man and knows that, just like Peter, he would happily put a stop to everything if that’s what Bucky needed.

In that moment, the soldier finds himself overwhelmed with emotion at the realization that he's surrounded by not one, but two, fiercely supportive men, men that he has such deep feelings for.

As the feeling passes, Bucky still doesn't answer, afraid that, in the heat of the moment, he may accidentally blurt out something stupid that he can’t take back. Like ‘I love you.’

“Bucky?” Tony eventually asks, leaning forward, voice full of concern.

“I’m good,” Bucky finally says, shaking his head to clear it.

The other two glance at one another, an uncertain look passing between them.

“Really,” the soldier insists. “I’m ready.”

To prove his point, Bucky leans forward to kiss Peter again and reaches down to encouragingly grab the other man’s wrist and pull his lubed finger closer to the soldiers waiting hole.

Concerns quelled, the younger man takes the queue and brushes his fingers gently around Bucky’s furl as he begins to stroke his boyfriend’s cock to hardness with his other hand.

Pleasure from his dick aside, the soldier is surprised to find that it’s not at all unpleasant having Peter’s soft digits massage the area. In fact, it feels nice. Relaxing into the sensation, he breathes easy, leaning back against the pillows.

After letting Bucky acclimate to being touched there, Peter finally breaches his boyfriend's hole with one finger and it’s… odd. To say the least. Tensing at the intrusion, he can’t say that it’s painful per se, but he also can’t say that it's pleasurable. 

“Relax,” Peter soothes softly.

Nodding, Bucky takes in a deep breath and forces his muscles to loosen up as his boyfriend continues working his finger in and out and stroking his cock.

As his body starts to adjust, the soldier is a little disappointed that he doesn’t find anything particularly pleasing about the sensation. It’s not bad, it’s just that most of his previous sexual partners have found some sort of mind-altering, out-of-body pleasure at being penetrated and he just… doesn’t. He was hoping for more.

Oh well, at least now I know, he thinks.

Resigning himself to a lack-luster encounter for education’s sake, Bucky feels Peter begin to work in a second finger.

This time he remembers to breathe through the intrusion and doesn’t let himself tense up, but the sensation is a lot stronger with two fingers, bordering on painful.

Breathing heavier now, erection flagging, Bucky suddenly isn’t at all sure this is going to be worth it. If he’s this uncomfortable and not experiencing any pleasure, he wonders if maybe he should just call it and they can do something else instead.

The thought has no sooner formed in his head when Peter suddenly crooks the fingers in Bucky and the soldier’s insides light up like a Christmas tree.

“Fuck!” he cries out, bucking his hips at the sudden onslaught of incredible sensation.

“There it is,” Peter says with a victorious smile.

As the younger man continues working his fingers in a circular motion around his boyfriend's prostate, Bucky’s dick instantly goes back to fully hard and he can’t help but start panting in pleasure. 

Jesus Christ! So this is what all the fuss is about, he tells himself, unable to stop from being pissed that he hadn’t tried this out _years_ ago. This feels fucking amazing. 

Totally caught up in the pleasure of Peter’s fingers inside of him, Bucky zones out, getting lost in the feeling. He so lost that he honest-to-god whines at the loss of sensation when Peter finally pulls his fingers out and lets go of his dick.

“Just wait,” Peter tells him, smiling as he picks up the prostate massager. “It’s about to get even better.”

Watching the other man lube up the toy, Bucky feels ridiculously turned on, like he’s finally become part of this amazing gay secret to outstanding sex. Distantly he wonders what it might feel like to have a dick in his ass.

Coming back to reality as Peter inserts the toy, the soldier realizes that he should definitely work his way up to a dick as he hisses at the increased size of the intrusion.

Tensing up again as the massager slides all the way in, his boyfriend rubs soothing circles on Bucky's hips with one hand as he begins pumping his now less-than-full erection with the other.

Having allowed the soldier some time to adjust to the sensation, Peter removes his hands and finally turns on the vibration.

“Holy shit!” Bucky shouts, jerking his hips as he sees stars.

It’s _intense_. But the feeling is so good and so strong that he is immediately back to hard and leaking, pre-come dribbling from the tip of his dick in a steady stream.

“Oh my god,” he pants, wondering if he could come from this feeling alone.

It feels so good that Bucky kind of blisses out, entering this zen-like state of pleasure, just allowing himself to feel everything that’s happening inside his body for the first time. He gets lost in it, uncaring of how much time is passing.

Somewhere in his euphoria, the soldier is distantly aware of Peter moving near him, hard cock brushing against his leg. He feels kisses being lavished along jaw, marks being sucked onto his neck. It all increases the pleasure.

“God, Bucky, you’re so fucking gorgeous like this,” Peter breathlessly whispers in his ear. “I want to ride you.”

“Jesus Christ,” Tony groans from across the room.

Unable to form words, the soldier just enthusiastically nods his consent to that idea.

At some point while he was blissed-out, Peter must have prepped himself, because the next thing Bucky knows, his boyfriend is guiding his slick cock into his own tight hole, sliding all the way down. And suddenly the soldier finds himself so enraptured in ecstasy that he feels like he can’t breathe, like he doesn’t even need to. He just needs to exist in this state forever, caught between duel sensations of euphoria.

The pleasure coursing through him is almost too much. He’s never felt anything like this before. The stimulation to his prostate while his dick is simultaneously gripped by Peter’s hot channel is nearly overwhelming.

Shaking from head to toe, Bucky feels so good he doesn’t care if comes or not. He could stay here forever, on the edge of bliss and oblivion, riding the waves of sensation flowing through his body. 

As that thought crossed his mind, it dawns on the soldier that this is exactly what Tony was talking about that night over dinner all those months ago. The things he said about finding what takes you to the next level, truly exploring yourself, finding your sexual awakening. This is what he meant. Peter bouncing on his cock with a toy vibrating inside his own ass while he pumps his hand up and down the other man’s member as Tony watches, furiously stroking his own dick… This is everything he could ever need and didn’t know he ever wanted. This is his awakening.

Unable to hold out any longer as Peter clenches on a particularly enthusiastic bounce, Bucky comes. _Hard_. His back arches off the bed at an angle he didn’t know he was capable of as his vision whites out and he finds himself unable to hear anything but the pounding of his own heart and the roaring inside his ears. 

Slowly coming back to himself, the soldier twitches through the aftershocks, clutching around the toy with each spark. The staccato jerking of his hips is enough to pull Peter over the edge with him, the younger man’s mouth opening in a silent scream as he twitches above his boyfriend, emptying himself all over the other man’s chest before slumping forward onto him, completely spent.

Both men lay there panting, unable to speak as they hear Tony’s hand positively flying next to them. The billionaire is jacking himself at an impressive speed.

Always surprisingly quiet in the bedroom, all the soldier catches is a breathy “oh fuck” as the older man finally comes into his own fist.

A few moments later, after awkwardly reaching around to turn off the toy still inside him, the soldier finally finds the ability to think clearly again and starts laughing.

“What’s so funny?” Peter grumbles, unhappy at being jostled around while he still lays prostrate across the Bucky's chest.

“Merry Christmas to me,” Bucky snickers, finding it endlessly entertaining that he’d just given himself the best gift ever.

“Ha!” Tony unexpectedly barks from afar.

Before he knows it, all three are howling with laughter as they bask in the afterglow of mind blowing sex.

As he laughs, Bucky feels his chest warm with the knowledge that he accomplished exactly what he'd set out to do, give Tony and Peter the night away they so desperately needed. It's definitely been a night none of them will forget.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... that happened. Bucky finally discovered his asshole! lol!!! How do we feel about this? How do we feel about the possibility of them exploring that more? How mad are we at Tony for not grabbing Bucky by the hair and kissing him senseless?
> 
> On a personal note: I know this is fanfic and we're here for the carefree fun of it all, but just once I had to write a scene with semi-realistic anal sex and preparation (IE: washing your bootyhole and clearing out your insides). Sorry if the less-than-graphic detail wasn't your thing. All future smut will be back to unrealistic fucking with no prep, I promise. ;D
> 
> While I have a very detailed outline of where this story is going, I'm really curious to know what you guys think and if there's anything you'd like to see. Any smut suggestions? Plot twists? Any ideas at all? Can't promise they'll make the final cut, but I'd love to hear from you in the comments.
> 
> As always, kudos and comments give me life! Thanks for leaving them!!!


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Drum roll, please.
> 
> Ladies and gentlemen and everyone in between, the moment you’ve all been waiting for...

Fourteen-month-old children are challenging. They are lovable, delightful, fun, funny, endearing… But challenging. Especially when they’ve just added a new word -- “stop” -- to their ever-expanding vocabulary.

Bucky lovingly sighs as little Morgan holds up an imperious hand in his face, authoritatively halting their tickle battle. 

“Stop,” she repeats bossily, shaking her head to emphasize the point.

While the soldier is well aware that, when Morgan was conceived, both Tony and Peter contributed genetic material that was used and no one knows which man is biologically her father, there are times she looks at him and the set of her jaw combined with the commanding expression on her face make her the spitting image of Tony. Of course, there are other times, mostly when she wants to wield her not inconsiderable power over Bucky, that she tilts her head just so and gets a pleading look in those big brown eyes that she is so much like Peter that anyone could see the resemblance. It’s equal parts disconcerting and charming how much she is so like both of her parents.

But, in this moment, she’s all Tony.

“Okay then,” Bucky tells her, scooping the child into his arms. “Let’s go find your dads and see what they’re doing.”

They head off in the direction of the living room, mostly in hopes that Morgan’s parental units can find a way to entertain the little girl. She seems abnormally restless this afternoon.

It’s a rainy Sunday in late October. Not the sleepy, genteel, autumnal rain that one might expect this time of year, no, this is the kind of rain accompanying what the news is referring to as a ‘SuperStorm’ called Sandy that’s currently working its way up the Eastern seaboard. And it’s only supposed to get worse in the coming days.

As Bucky and Morgan descend the stairs listening to the rain pelt the windows, they walk in on Peter and Tony having a disagreement in the living room while Danvers, eating a sandwich in the kitchen, tries to look like she’s not eavesdropping. The soldier briefly wonders what she’s doing there right now, but focuses on the conversation at hand instead.

“There hasn’t been anything from the stalker in almost four months,” the younger man emphatically reminds his husband. “For all we know, the guy could be in jail. Or Dead.”

“We agreed you would stay here, stay safe,” the billionaire fires back. “You promised me that, until we know _for sure_ that this psycho is off the streets, you would stay put.”

“Tony, I’m not trying to go off for a weekend of fun in AC!” Peter laughs through his frustration. “May needs me and I’m not going to leave her alone right now.”

Sighing as the other man’s point seems to deflate some of his fight, Tony runs a hand over his face.

“Can’t she come here?” he tries.

“Babe, it’s the anniversary of Ben’s death, she loves you and Bucky, and Danvers and Happy and Pepper when they’re here, but the last thing May needs right now is a house full of people.”

“Wait,” Bucky butts in. “You’re leaving?”

“Yes,” Peter sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation.

“That’s a terrible idea,” the soldier states.

“Finally, someone agrees with me!” Tony says.

“Listen,” Avenger interjects, giving up the pretense of not listening in. “If safety is your concern-”

“Is this your doing?” Bucky cuts her off. He then carefully bounces the baby on his hip so as not to startle Morgan with his sudden irritation at the woman opposite them.

The little girl intently looks from adult to adult, quietly watching the discussion with an intrigued look on her face.

“I just showed up when Peter asked me to,” Danvers tells Bucky, holding her palms up in mock surrender.

At that, Tony and Bucky turn in tandem to glare at Peter, realizing he had planned this ahead of time.

Having the wherewithal to look slightly cowed at being caught out, the younger man reaches for Morgan like he hopes holding her will calm their irritation with him.

“Look, Aunt May is struggling at the moment and she really needs some support.”

His boyfriend and husband remain unimpressed by the argument and continue to scowl.

“Tony, you bought the entire top floor of her building,” Peter continues levelly. “And converted it into a mini fortress. What do you think is going to happen to us surrounded by StarkTech, bulletproof glass, the most elaborate home security system anyone has ever seen, and Danvers around to stop anyone that might try something? You two are acting like we’re going off to battle, we’re going to Forest Hills.”

“We?” Tony clarifies, narrowing his eyes.

“Morgan’s coming with me. We’re going to spend the night.”

“I suppose it won’t do any good to remind you there’s a superstorm heading this way.”

“It’s a little rain, Tony, we’ll be fine. Besides, we’ll be back in the morning, before the worst hits.” 

“I don’t like this,” Bucky stubbornly declares.

“Me either,” the billionaire agrees with a heavy sigh. “But you and I both know there’s no stopping him.”

Grumbling in agreement, Bucky begrudgingly crosses his arms.

“You both pout worse than Morgan, I swear,” Peter chastises as he and the baby head back up the stairs to pack a bag.

“I don’t pout!” both men shout back at the same time.

“No, you two don’t pout _at all,_ ” Danvers sarcastically agrees.

.o0o.

As the lift closes behind Peter, Morgan, and Danvers as they head out for Queens, Tony turns around to look at Bucky, allowing a mischievous grin to replace the melancholy on his face.

“Well, I’ve got an unexpected night away from my other half, so you know what that means...”

Bucky freezes for a second, unable to fight hope from springing up in his chest without his permission. Could Tony possibly mean what the soldier thinks he means?

“Pizza and ice cream sundaes!” the billionaire announces. “No twenty-one-year-old with twenty-one-year-old metabolism looking over my shoulder tonight. Come on, Buck, let’s go drown our worries in junk food.”

“Yeah, sounds great,” Bucky says. He tries not to sound crestfallen as he follows the older man to the kitchen.

Once the pizza arrives and, at Tony insistence, Bucky gives the delivery person an obscenely large tip for weathering this weather, they settle onto the couches in the living room and put on a movie while they eat -- Lethal Weapon, of course, they have to take the chance to enjoy the classic while Peter isn’t there to malign it.

Finishing his last slice, Tony pauses the movie and stands up, groaning and patting his stomach as he stretches.

“I’m stuffed, but I’m not full of ice cream yet. How about those sundaes?”

“I like the way you think,” Bucky grins.

Once in the kitchen, Bucky discovers that watching Tony Stark put together an ice cream sundae is like watching a master at work. He is kind of in awe and, bizarrely, a little turned on at the way those expert hands work wonders with hot fudge, caramel, and sprinkles.

The soldier must have spent a little too long gawking at Tony’s creation, because, suddenly, he finds a handful of maraschino cherries being thrown in his face.

“Get your own,” the billionaire playfully warns, laughing at the other man’s shocked face.

“Oh, you shouldn’t have done that,” Bucky threatens. Smirking, he scoops a generous amount of caramel directly into his bare metal hand and aims it at his adversary.

“You wouldn’t dare,” Tony says, grinning as he slowly backs away.

“Wanna bet?” the soldier asks. Pulling back his hand, Bucky lets loose and flings caramel all over the billionaire.

At that, an all out food fight erupts between the two. Every ice cream topping known to man is flying around the room, stuck to every surface, there’s even some strawberry sauce dripping from the ceiling.

Laughing like two schoolboys, following a few minutes of intense combat, the men seem to reach a stalemate. After chasing one another around the room, they’ve trapped each other on either side of the island and are quickly running out of ammo unless they want to waste their rapidly melting sundaes.

“Truce?” Tony asks in a mock serious tone.

“Truce,” Bucky agress, slowly putting the can of whipped cream down in a symbolic gesture of peace.

Ceasefire reached, they decide to enjoy their sundaes right there, standing around the kitchen island as they’re too messy to sit down anywhere.

“I need a shower,” the soldier says, scrapping the last bite out of the bottom of his bowl. “I think some fudge may have gotten inside my ear.”

“Yeah,” Tony agrees, chuckling. “We better not walk through the house in these clothes, though, we’d leave a sugary mess all over the place. Come on, let’s dump this stuff straight into the washing machine and then we can get cleaned up.”

As they head to the laundry room, Bucky strips off his t-shirt along the way and once inside the obnoxiously large room -- seriously, it’s bigger than the soldier’s childhood bedroom and has a TV mounted on the wall… -- tosses it in the machine. But as he turns to take off his sweatpants he sees Tony and pauses. The billionaire, still fully dressed, suddenly has a tense look on his face and is avoiding eye contact.

“Hey, you alright?”

“Hmm? Yeah, yeah. Right as rain,” Tony responds in a falsely bright tone.

“Okay…”

Proceeding to remove his sweats and toss them in the wash, Bucky, now clad only in his boxer briefs, looks at Tony again. The man still hasn’t moved and looks even more stiff and uncomfortable.

“Well, I’m going to go up and hop in the show, I guess,” Bucky awkwardly tells him.

“Sounds good,” Tony responds in that same artificial tone as the soldier exits the room.

The billionaire’s sudden about face is really bothering him, wondering if it was something he did or said, Bucky gets about halfway up the back stairs before has to turn around and find out. If he did something wrong, he wants to make it right.

“Hey, are we-” he calls. Walking back into the laundry room, he cuts his words off when Tony visibly startles at his entrance and, shirt now removed, abruptly turns his back to Bucky.

“What’s up, Buck?” he asks over his shoulder.

“Tony, did I do something or... ?”

“What do you mean?” the billionaire asks, obviously uncomfortable.

“I mean that it’s like all of the sudden things got really weird. And now you won’t look at me. What did I do?”

Tony heaves a deep sigh, but still doesn’t turn around.

“It’s nothing, you didn’t do anything. We’re fine. Just, go get cleaned up.”

Ignoring the older man, Bucky steps forward and gently places a hand on his bare shoulder. He can feel the billionaire tense further, like he wants to pull away.

“Tony.”

Slowly, Stark turns around, but still refuses to look Bucky in the eye.

“What’s going on?” the soldier gently asks.

“It’s just,” Tony sighs. “I know that it’s not like we’ve never seen each other naked before but… that’s different. My, ah… the scars. I, um, I don’t like for them to be seen.” 

Looking down at his own chest, the older man crosses his arms in a futile attempt to conceal the marks left behind by the hostage situation in Afghanistan.

Bucky is a little shocked. Partly because the topic of Afghanistan has never been broached in the whole time they’ve known each other, he knows it’s something that Tony doesn’t like to talk about, even with Peter. But moreover than that, the soldier is surprised by the outright vulnerability the other man is letting him in on. He’s never seen Tony this human before.

Without thinking, Bucky reaches out and takes one of the billionaire’s hands and pulls it towards him. Gently, he places the hand atop the rough flesh of his left shoulder, at the junction of skin and metal.

“I understand,” Bucky tells him.

At those words, the other man finally looks him in the eye as he begins to allows his fingers to softly caress the area. 

It feels amazing, both because the skin there is extremely sensitive and because Tony has never touched Bucky like this before.

Still gazing at Bucky, the look in the billionaire’s eyes slowly shifts from exposed and uncertain to straight fire.

Before the soldier can even wonder what that means, the hand on his shoulder moves up and grabs him by the hair to pull him down into a blazing kiss.

Not even realising it, Bucky moans wantonly as his and Tony’s mouths collide. He’s wanted this for so long, and now it’s finally happening. And suddenly he’s so turned on he can’t even think straight.

Tony has taken the opportunity his partner’s vocalization granted to begin using his tongue to explore Bucky’s mouth like it’s his job to create a detailed map of what he finds there. The soldier loves it, he sucks the billionaire’s tongue in an effort to encourage the exploration.

Bucky is so caught up in finally, _finally_ kissing Tony that he lets himself be manhandled and, the next thing he knows, his back is slammed against the far wall of the room. 

While they continue to intently makeout, the billionaire shoves a thigh between Bucky’s legs, offering friction for his all-of-the-sudden painfully hard cock. As the soldier gratefully grinds down on it, he feels the other man’s own hardness brush against his leg in return.

Eventually, the need to breathe wins out and they pull apart as Bucky sucks in a much needed lungful of air, but Tony just proceeds to nip his way down the soldier’s jaw and suck marks onto his neck.

“Tony,” he says, sounding breathless and needy. “Fuck, I’ve wanted this for so long.”

The older man doesn’t bother to respond, but lets Bucky know he feels the same by reaching into the front of Bucky’s underwear to free his leaking dick, firmly jacking it.

“Shit,” the soldier hisses.

As Tony recaptures his lips again to kiss him senseless, Bucky reaches down to stroke the billionaire through the fabric of his sweatpants.

“Jesus Christ,” Tony groans against his lips.

“Tony. I need- fuck- I need…” the soldier pants desperately. He is so focused on not coming while rutting against the billionaire’s leg like a dog in heat that he can’t articulate his needs.

Pulling back, Tony caresses his cheek.

“I’ve got you,” he promises, sounding equally debauched.

Reaching down to free his own cock, Tony leans in and lines them up. Both men are leaking so much precome that they don’t need anything else for lubrication, so the billionaire takes both dicks in his hand and starts to stroke them together.

Bucky’s brain almost short circuits at the sight of Tony’s firm grasp around both of their members. After months of fantasizing about it, those skilled, calloused hands are finally on him. They feel so good that he can barely keep it together. All the soldier can do is lean his forehead into Tony’s, hold onto his shoulders, and hope to God he doesn’t black out from bliss before he gets to come.

Tony must be just as desperate as Bucky, because after a few moments of rough, frantic strokes, the billionaire’s orgasms hits him as he explodes all over both of their torsos. 

Hips stuttering through his climax, the staccato, uneven friction of Tony’s cock against Bucky’s pushes him over the edge too, adding his own spend to the mess on their cores. He comes so hard that he’s grateful to be propped against the wall or he would have collapsed to the ground from the intensity of his orgasm.

After stroking them through their respective aftershocks, Tony slumps forward onto his chest, exhausted. They both take a second to catch their breath, neither bothering to speak. 

“So… that happened.” Tony finally mutters. He sounds a little uncertain, like he’s not quite sure if everything is okay.

“Yeah, that definitely happened,” Bucky chuckles.

At that, the billionaire looks up at him with a cautiously optimistic expression on his face.

“Can I take that to mean this won’t be a one time thing?”

“It better not be,” Bucky smiles as he leans in to kiss Tony again. This time the kiss is much softer, less urgent. The soldier loves it, he would be perfectly happy to spend the rest of the night kissing Tony slow and gentle like this, just experiencing the closeness.

They languidly makeout for quite some time, still slumped against the laundry room wall, before the cooling, drying mess between them finally puts an end to it.

Righting himself and removing the remainder of his clothes, Tony looks over at Bucky with a playful look on his face.

“You’re not going to make me shower alone are you?”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”

.o0o.

_Buzz, buzz, buzz..._

Bucky groans grumpily as he turns to burrow deeper into the warmth against his side. 

_Buzz, buzz, buzz…_

“Mmmm,” he grumbles again. This time, to keep the morning at bay, he attempts to pull the covers up over his head, but can’t, they are stuck on something. 

Finally opening his eyes, Bucky is shocked awake when he realizes the thing the covers are tangled around is Tony, the source of the heat next to him. 

Suddenly, last night’s escapades come flooding back to him.

_Buzz, buzz, buzz..._

Before the soldier can even begin to wrap his mind around the fact that Tony finally made a move on him, the offending sound registers as a phone vibrating with an incoming call.

Looking over to see the other man still dead to the world beside him, arms and legs tangled with his own, Bucky blindly reaches over to the bedside table to grope for the phone.

  
  


“Yeah,” he answers, voice groggy and thick with sleep.

“Bucky?” Peter’s surprised voice asks from the other side of the line. “Why are you answering Tony’s phone?”

Oh shit, he thinks, sitting bolt upright, waking the man next to him.

“Ummm…” he stalls. 

As Tony wipes sleep from his eyes, he finally sits up and motions for Bucky to hand over the phone that obviously belongs to him. 

“Morning, babe,” he says scratchily while activating the speakerphone. “Are you guys on your way back?”

There is a beat before Peter answers.

“Actually, that’s what I was calling you about,” he says. “The storm is moving in a lot faster than they thought and it looks like we are going to have to wait it out here with May.”

“What?!” Tony says, completely awake now.

“I know,” Peter sighs. “I’m not happy about it either, but they’ve already closed the Queensboro Bridge and the Midtown Tunnel. We’re stuck here, we have no way to get back to you.”

“Son of a bitch,” Bucky hisses, scrubbing a hand over his face.

“Look, May has stockpiled a bunch of food, there’s a backup generator here, Carol is with us for security, and we’re on the top floor of the building if there's flooding. It sucks, but we’re going to be okay. I promise.”

“Pete, this storm is bad, you could be stuck there for days,” Tony warns.

“Believe me, I know,” Peter responds. “I’d give anything to be home with you for this, but if I can’t be there, this is the next best thing.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” Tony begrudgingly agrees.

There's a pause as they hear a disruption in the background.

“Morgan, baby, don’t do that,” Peter calls. “Oh crap, I gotta go, she just found an entire bag of flour in the kitchen!”

“Okay, love you,” Tony quickly tells him.

“Yeah, love you both, bye,” Peter says as he hangs up.

“Well, shit,” the billionaire sighs, slumping back down on the bed.

But Bucky is too side tracked by the warm, glowing feeling building in his chest to even notice. Because Peter just said that he loved them both. _Both_. As in Peter loves Bucky.

“I don’t know about you,” Tony says, pulling the soldier out of his moment of wonder. “But since the whole city seems to have shut down because of this damn storm, I vote we don’t even bother to get out of bed today.”

“I wholeheartedly second that idea,” Bucky agrees, laying back down next to the other man.

It takes them less than two minutes to fall back asleep, snuggled together with Bucky as the little spoon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this chapter was originally supposed to have a lot more going on, but it was turning out WAY too long, so I've split it into two. 
> 
> OMG, Bucky and Tony finally got their heads out of their asses!!!!! How do we feel about them finally making their move? What do you want to see to come? Are you just beyond excited that they stopped dancing around each other?
> 
> I can't wait for you guys to read Chapter 17!!! Let me know if there is anything you'd like to see. (It's pretty much going to be an all out smut-fest. lol)
> 
> As always, kudos and comments make me so happy and feed my creativity. Leave them often. Thanks!
> 
> Note: While the details -- IE-dates and times -- for Superstorm Sandy are accurate, I did not survive this storm nor experience it firsthand, please let me know if there are any glaring errors about the storm that should be addressed.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, I'm so sorry for the delay in updating. The writer's block was STRONG with this one. Then I got all up in my head about it and... Thank you so much to everyone that has commented love and support for this story, the ones that have checked up on me personally, all of you. You guys are so awesome and mean so much to me!
> 
> Anyway, in apology for the lack of update, I gift you all with this chapter of literally nothing but smut. Enjoy!

Groggy, Bucky rubs the sleep from his eyes as he slowly comes back to reality, feeling mildly disoriented when he looks up at the unfamiliar ceiling above him. That is, until Tony shifts and he remembers exactly where he is and, more importantly, exactly who is beside him. 

Waking up for the second time on this fine -- albeit storm-riddled -- Monday next to Tony Stark sends a thrill through Bucky. Especially now that he has discovered that Tony is a snuggler. It’s not something he ever would have guessed but the older man, sound asleep, currently has both arms and both legs entwined around Bucky like an octopus.

Not wanting to wake his bed fellow, Bucky gently raises his head and looks around to try and find the time. Seeing the clock on Tony’s side of the bed, he is shocked to find that it is well into the afternoon, they’d slept most of the day away. Of course, when he thinks about the lack of sleep they’d gotten in this same bed the night before, it’s really not such a surprise. After their mutual laundry room hand job, they’d gotten into the steam shower in the master bathroom together and enjoyed a lengthy makeout session before making their way to Tony and Peter’s obnoxiously large bed where the billionaire did not let him sleep, instead opting to deliver a truly mind altering blow job before finally allowing Bucky to get some rest. 

Considering their late night activities and the morning’s worries, sleeping in is understandable, but the soldier is concerned that they haven’t gotten an update from Peter all day. He can hear the torrential rains pelting the windows and knows the storm hasn’t blown over yet, so, concern winning out, he reluctantly sits up, waking Tony in the process.

The older man grumbles, still half asleep and clearly unhappy with his human body pillow for moving.

“Hey,” Bucky says, running his fingers through Tony’s hair just because he can.

“Hey,” Tony croaks back. “What time is it?”

“We slept a long time. It’s after noon.”

“Shit,” the billionaire says, finally sitting up. “We haven’t heard from Pete all day.”

“I know,” Bucky acknowledges as Tony reaches for his phone.

However, before the older man is able to even pull up Peter’s contact, the lights go out. They stay out for less than a minute before kicking back on.

“Well, at least we know the backup generators are working,” Tony says.

“Yeah, but if we lost power here, do you think…?

Understanding exactly what Bucky is asking, Tony brings the phone to his ear to find out, but the call doesn’t go through. He tries seven more times, none of the calls reach Peter.

“Fuck! Apparently, cell service is down, too.”

“Fuck!” Bucky seconds.

“This isn’t good, Buck. If phones are down then we have no way to know if they’re okay. What are we going to do?”

The soldier can sense Tony’s worry growing and, knowing how the man can get when his family’s safety is in question, Bucky is concerned on more than one front.

“Okay,” Bucky soothes. “Let’s be calm about this. Phones are down, but that doesn’t mean there is no way to contact them. What about the internet? Is that still working?”

“Good idea,” Tony says. Leaping up, the older man darts out of the room, heading for the nearest computer to find out.

Following after, Bucky finds Tony already in his study typing away at his impressive electronic setup.

“Looks like the internet's still up. I’m emailing Peter now.”

Bucky holds his breath, hoping they can get through and make sure everyone is okay.

After a few tense moments, Tony’s computer dings with a reply.

“They’re all right,” the older man breaths in relief. “Pete says they’ve lost power there too, but their backups have kicked in and they are making the best of it. Sounds like Morgan is having a blast being the center of everyone’s attention.”

Bucky sighs, feeling his mind ease. 

Worries assuaged, the two men can finally feel their stomachs catch up to them, they haven’t eaten all day. So, they head for the kitchen to find sustenance.

Eventually, after enjoying a surprisingly delicious thrown-together meal they’d cooked together, they end up in the living room, lounging on the couch with Tony’s limbs again having wound their way around Bucky. They turn Lethal Weapon back on, starting from the beginning, because apparently Tony feels very strongly that a movie must only be watched from start to finish. However, they barely make it to the part where the two main characters meet before Tony starts to not-so-subtly nibble at the back of Bucky’s neck.

“What are you doing back there?” the soldier asks, a grin spreading across his face.

“Nothin’,” Tony responds as he continues to nip and suck at the other man’s nape.

Humming into the sensation, Bucky totally loses track of the movie as he turns at the waist to kiss the billionaire full-on.

Bucky is fully aware that Tony is using him to try and distract himself from his own worries and concerns about his family and the soldier is completely fine with that. He’s worried too and would rather put that energy into some stellar sex with Tony than sit around and fret about it.

As their kiss begins to heat up, Bucky angles his body until he can use his weight to push the billionaire back to lay down on the couch.

Seeming to understand what Bucky wants, Tony leans back and pulls his dick out of his sweats and starts stroking himself to get hard.

Bucky likes what he sees but wants to see more, so he reaches down and, leaving the shirt in place, completely removes the sweatpants, enjoying the look of the strong, toned legs revealed beneath.

“Tit for tat,” Tony says suggestively as he eyes Bucky’s clothing.

Grinning, the soldier happily obliges and strips down to nothing.

“That's better,” Tony praises. “Now, hop to it, soldier,” the older man orders, indicating his now half-hard member.

Never one to disregard an order, Bucky settles further down the couch and leans forward to suck Tony’s cock into his mouth, feeling his own dick begin to firm up in response.

“Ah-ah-ah,” the billionaire chides. “Not so fast.”

Confused, Bucky furrows his brow in question.

“I want you to come sit on my face,” the older man explains.

And -- holy shit -- just like that, Bucky’s mouth goes dry as a desert and his dick goes from mildly interested to completely on board.

Of course, Tony does not miss the interest from the soldier’s member. He grins lasciviously and motion for Bucky to come hither.

Straddling the billionaire, knees to either side of his face, the soldier feels his own face flush. This is totally new to him. 

Sure, in the last couple of months there has been some exploration of Bucky’s ass, but he has taken things very slowly on that front, only doing what he’s been ready for. Really, all he’s done, aside from that first night with the prostate massager, is a little tentative fingering and some play with the same toy. So, Bucky’s never had his ass eaten before, and he’ll be damned if the thought of Tony Stark eating him out isn’t one of the hottest things he could possibly imagine. 

And now it’s about to happen.

Taking a shaky breath, Bucky lowers himself until he can feel the scrape of Tony’s beard on his most intimate area. Groaning at the sensation, he lets his eyes roll back into his head.

“Oh, this is gonna be fun,” Tony says. He sounds positively delighted by his partner's enthusiasm considering he hasn’t even started yet.

Instead of responding with words, Bucky just leans forward and licks a stripe up the length of Tony’s dick before pulling just head into his mouth.

God, sucking the billionaire’s thick, heavy cock is a truly amazing experience. Bucky has given a lot of head in his time, he knows what he’s doing, and he is going to put all those skills to use to blow Tony’s mind. 

Or at least that’s what he plans until the other man really starts eating him out and his brain short circuits. 

Fuck. 

Once Tony gets going, Bucky can barely remember his own name, let alone how to give a good blow job.

Whatever the other man is doing feels  _ incredible _ . It’s like the skin around Bucky’s hole has lit up with lightning that, with every lick and swipe of Tony’s tongue, send bolts of pleasure straight to his dick. He’s never felt anything like it before, and Tony’s tongue hasn’t even breached him yet.

Trying to pull his attention back to his own mouth, Bucky struggles to focus on giving Tony pleasure in return.

His partner notices his distraction and misinterprets the cause.

“This okay?” Tony asks, concerned.

“Fuck, yes,” Bucky grunts back.

“Glad to hear it.”

Chuckling to himself, it seems Tony takes Bucky’s agreement as permission to kick things up a notch, because the next thing the younger man knows rough hands are spreading him open as Tony tongue finally enters him.

“Shit,” Bucky breathes, barely remembering to pump his hand on the other man’s cock.

Something about the pliable, malleable, warm dexterity of the human tongue feels like nothing else Bucky has ever experienced in his limited exploration. The sensation of Tony fucking in and out of his hole with that talented mouth has Bucky leaking all over the other man’s chest.

“Jesus Christ, Tony, please,” the soldier begs with no idea what he is begging for. He just knows he needs more.

Removing his mouth from Bucky’s hole, the billionaire brings a hand up to fondle his partner's balls.

“You suck harder, I’ll suck harder,” Tony barters.

“Deal!”

Immediately bringing his mouth back to the billionaire’s dick, Bucky forms a new plan - get Tony off as fast as he can so Bucky can direct all of his attention to what’s happening to his own ass.

Utilizing years of military training and as many years of hurriedly getting his partners off by necessity, the soldier forces all of his focus to the cock in his mouth. 

Putting all of his skills to work, Bucky is more than a little proud that in mere minutes he has Tony grunting, twitching, and shooting off in his mouth. The soldier grins as he swallows Tony’s load to prolong the other man’s pleasure.

“Well played,” Tony grunts.

Tapping Bucky’s hip to tell him to move, the older man sits up.

“Lay back,” he instructs.

The soldier happily complies, slowly maneuvering to lie face up on the couch, stretching out to put his flushed, leaking, prominent erection on full display.

“Good God, you’re lucky I just came,” Tony groans in admiration. 

“Bend your legs,” the billionaire orders. “Show me that ass of yours.”

Without hesitation, Bucky complies, bringing his heels up to his backside and spreading his legs.

It’s a vulnerable position, one the soldier has never allowed himself to be in before. Part of him wonders at how easily he has let himself comply with Tony’s directions, never giving them another thought. In the past, there’s no way that he would have accepted being so exposed, on display, instead needing to feel in control, but there is something about the way he feels with Tony… something about the man’s intrinsic power and strength that makes Bucky feel safe, like he wants to let go of that control for a little while, let someone else be in command. If he’s honest with himself, it scares Bucky a little bit how easy it is to hand over the control to Tony, how much he likes it. 

Deciding to give himself fully over to that feeling, Bucky grabs a pillow, shoves it under his hips, and takes hold of his ankles to pull his legs further apart and lets the other man completely take over.

Leaning forward to hover between the soldier’s spread legs, Tony, still out of breath from his own release just a moment ago, pauses to look Bucky in the eye.

“You good?” he asks, abruptly serious. “This okay?”

“Yeah,” Bucky nods back. “I’m good.”

“I’m glad,” Tony chuckles, breaking the sudden heaviness of the moment. “Because I might actually explode if I don’t get my mouth on you soon.”

“I better be the one about to explode here, sweetheart,” the soldier counter, growing impatient.

“Aye-aye, Sergeant,” Tony mock-salutes.

Bucky doesn’t even have time to protest his partner’s cheek before the man’s proficient mouth crashes in on his own, licking his way in and kissing the soldier senseless.

Groaning into the kiss, Bucky tries to intertwine his fingers through the billionaire’s hair to ground himself, but Tony has something else in mind.

Batting Bucky hands away, the older man breaks the kiss and proceeds to slowly make his way down the soldier’s body; licking, kissing, and sucking every bit of skin he can get his mouth on, until he finally reaches Bucky’s dick. 

By this point, the younger man is almost trembling with need and, judging by the smirk on Tony’s face as he hovers over Bucky’s member, that is exactly where the other man wants him.

Still grinning like the Cheshire Cat, Tony leans in and none-too-gently digs his tongue in to work the soldier’s slit.

“Ahhh!” Bucky cries out at the onslaught of sensation.

Not giving him any time to adjust, Tony’s tongue just proceeds to follow a prominent vein down the length of Bucky’s sizable shaft to deliver attention to his aching balls.

Bucky is panting now, desperate for something more --  _ anything _ more.

“Tony,” he implores breathlessly.

“Mmmmmm,” the billionaire hums pityingly against his sac.

“Oh, god, please… please, babe,  _ please- _ ” Bucky pleads incoherently.

“Mmm,” Tony hums again. This time in a tone of triumph, as though he finally got what he has been waiting for, Bucky to beg.

Realising that’s what his partner wants, what will ultimately get him what he wants, Bucky readily starts beseeching Tony for more, continuing to ramble.

“Yes, I’m begging - please, god - I’ll beg, baby… Just. Need you- need you to… Please, Tony, please…”

“ _ Mmmmmm… _ ” the older man hums yet again. Or more like a groan, like Bucky begging him is too hot to handle.

Finally giving in to the soldier’s pleas, Tony moves his mouth further south until he again reaches Bucky’s hole.

Without preamble, the billionaire spears his tongue straight in as he brings a hand up to jack Bucky’s cock.

With his well practiced skill, it doesn’t take Tony any time to locate the soldier’s prostate and begin to stimulate it with his tongue in rhythm with his hand on Bucky’s dick. 

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” Bucky chants.

The sensations flowing through him are completely new and completely amazing. The warmth and texture of Tony’s tongue, the combination of that sensation coupled with the attention to his prick is almost too much, but somehow not enough. Like the pleasure wants to overtake him but he can’t quite reach it.

“Tony…” the soldier breathes, shivering from head to toe. “I need- need… more. I can’t… Oh, god.”

Never more grateful for his partner’s sexual prowess, Tony immediately understands and alters course to give Bucky what he needs.

Suddenly, the younger man feels a warm digit enter his wet, softened hole, unerringly locating his prostate, as Tony’s mouth finds his cock and sucks him all the way down -- some part of Bucky’s mind impressed that the older man isn’t gagging on his length. 

Hollowing out his cheeks, Tony bobs his head as his finger works Bucky in tandem from the inside and that’s all it takes for the pleasure to finally overtake him.

Bucky feels his entire body spasm as he finally reaches orgasm. Exploding in Tony’s mouth, his mind goes blissfully silent as colors dance behind his eyelids and waves of ecstasy pulse through him again and again and again. It’s like an unending tidal wave of pleasure that keeps going until it finally pulls him under into a euphoric oblivion.

Floating for an unknown amount of time in an elysian state somewhere between conscious and unconscious, Bucky eventually begins to slowly blink his eyes in an effort to come back to the present.

“Hey,” a gentle voice says from somewhere above him. “You finally coming back to me?”

Grunting in something like agreement, Bucky leans in to a hand that is softly running through his short hair.

“Come on, soldier,” the voice calls. “Time to wake up.”

Finally blinking his eyes open, Bucky realizes that he is firmly ensconced in Tony’s arms, head nestled against the other man’s chest.

Unsure how long he’s been out of it, Bucky is surprised to find that he has been cleaned up and wrapped in a blanket.

Experimentally stretching his limbs, the soldier is not surprised to find that his whole body still feels a little like a marshmallow from his mindblowing orgasm.

“How long was I out?” Bucky asks, surprised by the gravel in his own voice.

“A good few minutes,” Tony chuckles, still running his hand through the soldier’s hair.

They sit in silence for a moment, Bucky still needing some time to fully come back to reality, while the older man seemed content to just enjoy their physical contact.

“Tony,” Bucky finally says. “That was- Jesus Christ… I don’t even know what that was, but -- God damn -- it was fucking amazing.”

Tony chuckles. “Well, don’t tell Pete, but that may be one of the hottest things I’ve ever seen, sweetheart.”

Shifting a little in Tony’s hold, Bucky feels a bit uncomfortable. While part of him -- a not so small part -- feels a little cocky at the billionaire’s admission, his joke about not telling Peter has the soldier uneasy. Are they keeping this from Peter? Would the other man be mad if he knew that his boyfriend and his husband have hooked up without him? Does Tony want to hide this from Peter?

Bucky doesn’t know the answers. What he does know is that they are trapped together for the foreseeable future, until this storm finally passes, and the middle of a natural disaster is not the time to talk about it. Now is the time to find as much enjoyment in being trapped together as they can. Answers can wait.

.o0o.

Over the next two days an interesting pattern emerges -- denial, worry, sex - denial, worry, sex -- where both men will deny their concerns for as long as they can, then the worry will become too much, and they will use sex as a distraction. Then the cycle begins again.

On Tuesday the worst of the storm passes. But phone service is still out and the main power, with the backup generators still keeping the lights on.

Both men are on the couch after lunch, again attempting to watch Lethal Weapon, when Tony’s lost laptop loses wi-fi connection. 

Bucky immediately changes the TV over to the cable news, confirming that the city had indeed lost internet.

Tony almost lost it himself at discovering his only avenue of contact with his family was lost.

Immediately pouring himself a drink, the older man starts pacing back and forth across the room, ranting and brainstorming possible ways of getting to or from Queens in the midst of all the chaos.

Once he got to the point of spitting ideas that involve rappelling from helicopters, Bucky knows he has to cut this off at the pass before Tony lets the worry consume him the way he has in the past.

Not really knowing what else to do, the soldier suddenly grabs the older man and pulls him into a rough kiss.

Stunned, it takes Tony a minute to return the gesture, but eventually, he gets on board and the kiss turns heated.

When they finally pull apart, both men are a little breathless.

“Not that I’m complaining,” Tony pants. “But what the hell was that for?”

“Seemed like the best way to distract you in the moment,” Bucky shrugs.

The billionaire just nods, looking conflicted.

“The way I see it,” Bucky continues. “We can spend our time worrying about something we can’t do anything about. Or we can… ya know, do something  _ else _ .”

Staring at him for a long moment, Tony seems to really be weighing what Bucky had said.

“I think I’d like to choose Door Number Two,” he finally says with a smirk.

“Good choice,” Bucky grins, pulling Tony back in for another kiss.

At that, they head upstairs and spend the rest of the afternoon making more good use of the steam shower in the master bath.

.o0o.

Wednesday morning they sleep late again, waking to find that phone and internet are still down. 

Once up, they spend several hours cooking, cleaning, eating, and trying to relax and deny their ever-growing worry about Peter and Morgan.

Bucky reminds himself a hundred times over that, the last they’d heard from them, the pair were just fine. Actually, it seemed they were enjoying some extended quality time with Aunt May, despite the circumstances. There’s no reason to believe that anything had happened to change that, storm related or not. But then the image of a certain package full of candy arriving unexpectedly on July Fourth springs to mind and… he’s right back to worried sick again.

Tony is no better. Understandably worse, in fact. While he tries hard to hide it, the older man is so on edge that he can barely sit still. He keeps restlessly moving from one task to another, never quite able to focus on what he’s doing before giving up and moving on to something else.

Eventually, Bucky takes pity on him and suggests they try watching a movie as a distraction. 

Tony agrees and, as they settle on the sofa together, unthinkingly pushes play on the movie already in the Blu-Ray player. 

However, the opening credits of Lethal Weapon are barely over when Bucky notices Tony’s leg bouncing almost uncontrollably. Clearly a movie isn’t going to be enough of a diversion.

Hitting pause, he places a hand on the bouncing knee, turning to smile at the other man.

“How ‘bout Door Number Two instead?” he asks.

“Good idea,” Tony nods emphatically.

At that, they bound up the stair to the master bedroom, both eager for the much needed distraction and the chance for more sex.

After taking turns sucking each other off, Bucky benefiting from the skill of Tony’s mouth twice, they lay tangled together in the bed panting and enjoying their respective afterglows.

Bucky has to admit, as much as he loves sex and has had some really stellar encounters, Tony is near the top. The man’s got skills and he knows how to use them.

“Jesus fuck, Tony,” Bucky pants. “That was amazing.”

“They don’t call me Tony Best-You’ve-Ever-Had Stark for nothing, kid,” the billionaire teases.

“I didn’t say ‘best,’ I said amazing.”

“Ex- _ cuse _ me?” Tony gasps, half offended - half amused. “Are you trying to tell me that wasn’t the most incredible pair of blow jobs you’ve ever had?”

Never able to resist pushing the billionaire’s buttons, Bucky just laughs to egg him on.

“I can neither confirm nor deny that fact.”

“Oh, don’t you give me that ‘it’s classified’ Army bullshit, Sergeant, I want an answer.”

Bucky just shrugs and remains silent, a taunting smirk on his face.

“Okay, I see,” Tony nods. “If that's how you want to play this, consider yourself warned.”

“Warned?” Bucky laughs.

“I don’t play second fiddle, soldier,” the older man informs him, raising an eyebrow in challenge.

A lascivious grin spreads across Bucky’s face. 

He’d forgotten just how competitive Tony could be, but that sense of rivalry has given the soldier an idea, the perfect distraction to keep the other man’s mind off of his worries. Make sex a competition.

“Well, the reigning first fiddle has a pretty steep record to break,” Bucky taunts. “See, we went all fucking night -- we’re talking damn-near eight hours -- for a grand total of  _ eight _ . Think you can top that… old man?”

At the crack about his age, a look Bucky had never seen before crosses Tony’s face. A look that is every bit the powerful, cutthroat, aggressive, take-no-prisoners business mogul that runs a multi-billion dollar corporation. A look that tells Bucky the other man is playing right into his hands.

It’s all Bucky can do to hold in his laughter at how well this is playing out for him.

“I see your eight in ten,” Tony says determinedly. “And raise you  _ ten _ in ten.”

“You’re on,” Bucky agrees with an attitude.

“Deal. It’s…” Tony pauses to check the clock. “Two-fifteen and I just got you off twice, so I’m gonna make you come eight more times by midnight tonight,” the older man assuredly informs him.

“What about you?”

“Oh, no, the bet was for you, sweetheart. I get to make you come however I can, wherever I can, and whenever I can, whether I get it up or not. Think you can take it?”

“Please,” Bucky scoffs.

  
  
  
  


3:17 PM

Never one who much enjoyed sitting still for long, Bucky has found being trapped by the storm challenging. There’s only so much reading or TV and movie watching he can take before boredom takes over.

So, in an effort to find something else to occupy his mind, the soldier found an old puzzle stashed in the hall closet and now has the pieces spread across the dining room table trying to recreate the image of a dozen sailboats in the ocean at sunset.

There is something soothing and peaceful about the repetitive task of assembling a puzzle. Bucky finds himself getting lost in a meditative state as he puts all the edge pieces together.

He’s so focused on the task at hand that he doesn’t immediately realize that Tony has come up behind him until he feels the older man begin to play with the fine hairs at the base of his neck.

“Mmm,” Bucky hums, leaning in to the touch. 

“You’re so tense,” Tony says. He then starts to gently massage the sides of the soldier’s neck.

Using the tips of his fingers in a way Bucky has never experienced, Tony’s hands work some kind of magic on him. They feel amazing and without even realizing it, his cock starts to harden in response.

“Looks like Little Bucky wants to join the party,” Tony whispers hotly into his ear, intentionally scraping his beard along the sensitive skin of his nape. The soldier shudders in response.

God damn, he thinks to himself. How am I so worked up from a neck rub?

Of course, deep down, he knows that his response has little to do with the neck rub and everything to do with Tony himself. He finds the man irresistible. Just like Peter. There is something about the men… that he just can’t explain. He’s drawn to them.

He decides not to try and explain it, even to himself, and simply leans back into Tony’s hold and lets the billionaire have his way with him.

Tony must sense his acquiescence, because he doesn’t hesitate to lean down, free Bucky’s dick from his pants, and start stroking -- with an unexpectedly, generously lubed hand.

He can’t help it, in no time at all, Bucky is shooting off in Tony’s grasp, calling out his name as he head lolls back on the other man’s shoulder.

“That’s three,” Tony says. There’s a cocky grin on his face as he leans in to kiss Bucky soundly before turning and walking away.

  
  
  
  


4:45 PM

After the puzzle hand job earlier, Bucky had decided he was tired, and since there certainly wasn’t going to be anything else to do for the day, he went upstairs to take a nap.

Without even thinking, he climbed into Peter and Tony’s bed, instead of his own, and fell asleep.

Amidst a confusing dream about Peter and spiderwebs and a man in red and gold armor, Bucky begins to rouse.

“Come on, Sleeping Beauty, it’s time to wake up.”

Bucky groans, futilely trying to hold on to the last few seconds of sleep.

“I have a surprise for you,” Tony’s voice whispers in his ear.

At that the soldier finally opens his eyes. And what he sees when he does makes him glad to have been woken up.

Tony is laying next to him completely naked, his body glistening, covered in oil.

“Glad you like it,” Tony smirks, reaching out to caress Bucky’s dick, still hardened in the afternoon nap equivalent of morning wood.

“God,” the soldier chokes. He’s barely conscious and is having a hard time discerning whether or not this is all just a dream.

“I go by Tony,” the other man teases.

Still not convinced he’s awake, Bucky leans in to kiss the gleaming man opposite him.

As he and Tony are so new to each other, the soldier tends to be a little more tentative when he’s with the older man, but in his current sleep-addled state, Bucky feels completely uninhibited. Since he’s not sure if any of this is real, he is going to make the most of it.

Feeling totally free, Bucky unashamedly runs his hands all over Tony’s body, exploring the everywhere he can. 

Tony gasps as the soldier tweaks his nipples and drags his hand across the expanse of his bare chest, fingers lingering softly against the scars there.

“Shit,” the billionaire mutters, leaning in to the touch. “I should wake you up more often.”

“Oh, yeah?”

“If this the response I get, then, yeah.”

Tony reaches out to pull Bucky in for another kiss, clearly enjoying the results of his foggy state.

“Don’t you want your surprise?” the older man asks when they finally pull apart.

“You naked and shiny in bed wasn’t it?”

“Not entirely. This time, I got myself all lubed up because you’re going to get yourself off. On me.”

Bucky pulls back to look Tony in the eye, feeling his cock twitch at thoughts of rubbing off on the other man.

“Thought you might like that,” the billionaire says, not missing Bucky’s interest.

“Fuck, yes,” he groans, lunging forward to plaster his body against Tony’s and pull him back in for another kiss.

As they continue to consume each other’s mouths, Bucky can feel the other man’s cock hardening against his hip. He repositions himself to rub his dick against Tony’s.

“Shit,” the older man hisses into Bucky's mouth.

Grinding his member against his partner’s feels incredible, and the soldier is so caught up the moment that he considers getting them both off this way, but then he remembers a dream from several months ago and changes his mind.

“Turn and face the other way,” Bucky orders as he pulls his lips away from Tony’s.

“Ooo, bossy, I like it,” the older man says as he easily complies.

Not saying a word, Bucky reaches down to feel the space between Tony’s legs. Finding plenty of oil there, he moves forward and slides his dick in.

With Tony laying on his side, the space between his muscular thighs is so tight that Bucky groans when finally burrows his cock all the way in.

The memory of that dream, of Tony coming up behind him in the shower and using the space between Bucky’s legs in the same way, spurs him on. The soldier wastes no time setting a fast pace.

Grabbing on to Tony’s hip for traction, Bucky pounds in and out of the void, feeling the tip of his dick brush against the other man’s balls with each thrust. The man that he’s wanted for so long, the man that he has literally dreamed about, the man that is finally here in front of him moaning as he strokes his own cock.

God, fucking Tony’s thighs like this, so close to his ass, so close to fucking Tony for real, to pushing his dick into the other man’s hole, to hearing him moan as Bucky fucks him senseless… The thought alone has Bucky’s ball drawing up.

He’s close. Right there on the edge. 

“Don’t finish yet,” he barks in Tony’s ear.

Since he doesn’t actually get to fuck the billionaire --  _ yet _ , he promises himself -- he’s going to do the next best thing.

Pulling back, he yanks Tony towards him until he’s flat on his back and Bucky gets to his knees, leaning on his metal arm to hover right above him.

Then he takes his now well oiled cock in hand and starts furiously stroking.

He locks eyes with Tony as his hand flies. As he gazes at the other man, how willingly exposed he is in the moment, he sees the trust in Tony’s eyes and that’s when he truly realises that Tony is naked. Completely naked. No shirt, no barrier, nothing to hide behind. Somewhere over the course of that last several days, Tony has let Bucky in. He trusts him.

That trust, that intimacy, pushes Bucky right over the edge. He cries out as he climaxes, his come snaking out all over Tony’s stomach and groin.

Once he rides out his orgasm and comes back to the moment he sees that Tony is still looking up at him, waiting.

Sitting back on his haunches, Bucky runs his hand along Tony’s stomach, teasing as he scoops up his spend. Once he collects enough, he brings his hand down to the other man’s hard cock.

“Fuck,” Tony groans before Bucky even touches him.

Using his own come as lube, the soldier firmly jacks Tony’s cock, alternating between stroking the shaft and running his thumb over the head.

Something primal in the back of Bucky’s mind awakens as, with each stroke, he rubs more of his come into Tony’s cock, marking it. This is the most powerful man in the world and, in this moment, he belongs to Bucky.

Making no effort to hide the effect this has on him, Bucky leans back over Tony to suck on his neck.

“Come. Now,” he whispers hotly into Tony’s ear.

As though he’d been waiting for permission, on command, Tony arches his back off the bed and grunts as his orgasm overtakes him.

“That’s four,” Bucky murmurs, still lazily stroking the billionaire’s cock as he nibbles his ear.

  
  
  
  


6:22 PM

Bucky stands in the kitchen sauteing mushrooms for dinner, when out of nowhere, he’s yanked away from the range.

Without warning, his sweats are yanked down and Tony’s mouth is on his cock.

The soldier is not proud to say that, in less than ten minutes, he comes down Tony’s throat with a shout.

As though nothing out of the ordinary had just happened, Tony pulls his sweats back up, turns him back to the range, and walks away.

“That’s five,” he nonchalantly calls over his shoulder as he exits.

  
  
  
  


7:51 PM

Laying on the couch with his head in Tony’s lap, Bucky leans back and looks at the TV.

Not long ago they finished dinner and decided to, yet again, attempt to watch Lethal Weapon. At this point, they have decided that it is their duty to watch the movie from start to finish, if only to prove Peter wrong, and confirm that it is in fact a classic.

So far, they’ve made it further into the movie than any of their previous attempts, but some part of Bucky wonders if he is developing some type of weird Pavlovian response to the film because, despite the number of times he’s gotten off today, he finds his mind wandering to thoughts of sex.

As if able to pick up on some subtle signal the soldier wasn’t aware he was giving off, Tony’s hand snakes its way through Bucky’s hair, gently scratching at his scalp.

Bucky doesn’t react, not wanting to give the other man the satisfaction of knowing how much he enjoys the way that feels, that he’s unknowingly stumbled upon one of the quickest ways to get Bucky going. So, he resolutely keeps his eyes on the movie.

But Tony doesn’t stop, he keeps working his finger in and out of Bucky’s hair, moving around his head, dragging his nails across his scalp until goose flesh breaks out.

He keeps it up for a good ten minutes and they both pretend not to notice how Bucky’s cock slowly fills as Tony keeps massaging his head, they just keep watching the TV.

Eventually, without saying a word or redirecting his gaze from the screen, Tony surreptitiously moves his other hand -- the hand that, until now, has been resting on Bucky’s shoulder -- up to circle the soldier's nipple through his t-shirt.

This time Bucky can’t stop himself from squirming at the sensation.

Tony, eyes still on the TV, keeps working the nipple, increasing the pressure, pinching and rolling the bud between his fingers until it hardens.

Bucky can’t help but moan at the onslaught.

The billionaire eventually brings the hand to the other nipple to deliver the same attention.

By now, Bucky has given up all pretense of not being a strung out mess and he arches forward into the touch, groaning loudly as Tony pinches him harder in reward.

Eyes remaining glued to the screen, Tony casually moves his hand further down Bucky’s torso, grazing his fingertips along the chiseled planes of the younger man’s abs, as he makes his way down his partner’s body.

Every move further south Tony makes only seems to make Bucky more desperate. Despite the number of times he’s already climaxed today, he can’t resist the thoughts of Tony’s hands on him again. He’s wanted this for so long, he’s going to get as much of it as he can because… he doesn’t know how long it will last, what will happen when Peter comes home.

Bucky is so desperate that he somehow misses Tony lubing up his hand, because the next thing he knows, a very slick grasp envelopes his still-clothed, hard, leaking cock.

“Fuck,” he gasps at the cold, viscous fluid as the other man takes his time, slowly working Bucky’s length.

This entire time, the billionaire’s eyes have never so much as flicked in Bucky’s direction -- it’s like his hands have a mind of their own and are acting without the rest of his body recognition as he sits watching the movie -- and he appears in no hurry to give the soldier what he needs. Contents to lazily pump up and down, occasionally flicking his thumbs across the head, in no time, Tony has Bucky a shivering mess.

“Tony, Tony, Tony,” Bucky chants like a prayer.

Unphased, the older man continues his slow-motion assault, mercilessly giving Bucky just enough to keep him teetering on the edge, but never enough to let him tip over it.

Unable to take it anymore, Bucky starts to beg. “Please,  _ please _ \- God, baby, please… more.”

Those must be the magic words Tony was waiting for, because as soon as the pleas leave Bucky’s mouth the billionaire abandons all pretense of ignoring his partner. He leans in and starts sucking a mark on the soldier’s neck as he finally,  _ finally _ increases the pressure on Bucky’s dick.

At that, it only takes all of four or five more strokes before Bucky comes, shouting as he arches into the pleasure as Tony continues to milk his cock.

Finally spent, he slumps back against the billionaire, squirming a little as he begins to feel the uncomfortable sensation of his own spend seeping into his clothes. He’s going to need a shower ASAP.

“And that’s six,” Tony proudly mutters into his ear.

  
  
  
  


9:02 PM

Looking down at his fingers, Bucky can’t remember the last time he sat in a bathtub long enough to get pruney. He squishes the pads of his fingers together enjoying the nostalgia of the sensation, like when he and his sister were little kids that still bathed together and would spend so long playing in the tub that their fingers and toes would take on the rippled texture.

Earlier, after their antics on the couch, Bucky had gotten up and abandoned the remainder of the movie in favor of getting cleaned up. He’d made to head for the shower, but Tony had stopped him, instead suggesting that they take a bath together. Bucky, with his military background, had never been one for luxuriating in the tub, but decided to go along with the idea. Spending more time naked with Tony couldn’t be all bad, right?

Then he’d seen the tub and knew that he’d been missing out.

While he’d been in the master bath more than once, he’d never paid attention to the nondescript door on the far wall until tonight, when Tony opened it and revealed an entire room dedicated to a gigantic circular marble bathtub. A bathtub that was easily large enough to be mistaken for a Jacuzzi, complete with jets and everything. It was magnificent.

Facing one another, their backs snug in supportive, carved out divots in the stone, Bucky and Tony are in the midst of a lengthy game of footsies.

“Your toes are getting pruney, too,” Tony observes, wiggling his own toes against Bucky’s in evidence.

“Mm,” the soldier acknowledges.

They’ve organically flowed in and out of conversation in the hour or more they’ve been soaking, but mostly they’ve enjoyed each other’s company in companionable quiet. 

Bucky knows that they’ve been in the water for a long time and should probably get out and begin to dry off. But, enjoying the quiet with Tony has felt so familiar, so intimate, that he doesn’t want it to end.

It’s as if Tony is on the same wavelength because, at that moment, Bucky feels a hand tighten around his ankle and finds himself being pulled towards the other man.

As they crash into each other, water sloshes over the side of the tub, splashing out onto the heated stone floors as Bucky finds himself suddenly seated in the billionaire’s lap.

Without saying a word, Tony captures Bucky’s mouth in an unhurried, leisurely kiss as the soldier lazily wraps his legs around the older man.

They languidly kiss for a long time, tongues taking turns advancing and retreating, enjoying the pleasure of exploring each other’s mouths.

The unhurried pace lasts until, without warning, Tony abruptly turns them, reversing their positions, pushing Bucky’s back into the wall of the tub and heating up their kisses.

Claiming the soldier’s mouth with a sudden ferocity, Bucky feels himself instinctively kissing back just as fiercely, overwhelmed with the need to be even closer to Tony.

Running his hands all along the billionaire’s back and flanks, Bucky’s cock begins to harden, yet again, as Tony grinds his own stiffening member against it. Despite all of their exploits throughout the day, his body can’t seem to help but respond to Tony’s touch every time. 

Their dicks sliding together feels amazing, the sensation completely different because of the water, the friction both less and more intense.

As they kiss and grind against each other, Bucky feels one of Tony’s hands leave his body and hears him fumbling for something on the ledge behind them but doesn’t think anything of it until the soldier feels a slick finger slide along the cleft of his ass.

Bucky makes a surprised noise.

“Waterproof lube,” Tony grins against his mouth. “Can I?” he asks, swirling his finger around Bucky’s hole.

“Fuck, yes,” the soldier pants, leaning into the touch.

Tony doesn’t waste any time teasing, he immediately breaches Bucky with one finger, unerringly locating his sweet spot straight away.

“So good,” Bucky gasps. 

Working his finger in a slow circle, alternating pressure and angle, Tony doesn’t warn Bucky before adding a second.

Still new to anal, this time Bucky feels the stretch and stiffens. It burns a little, but he’s beginning to find that, in a way, he likes the burn, the way the sensation brings everything into sharper perspective.

His discomfort doesn’t go without notice by Tony. The older man stills his fingers at Bucky’s change in posture, giving him time to adjust, kissing his way down the soldier’s neck to distract him.

“I’m good,” Bucky assures him.

Needing no further assertion, Tony starts moving his fingers again, this time with firmer, more consistent pressure

“God damn,” Bucky groans. Pulling the billionaire in to bring their lips back together, Bucky undulated on the other man’s fingers, relishing the experience.

“Can you take another?” Tony asks, leaning back to look Bucky in the eye.

“Yes,” the younger man replies without hesitation. He knows it’ll be more than he’s ever taken before, but he wants this, wants to try it, know what it feels like. And he wants to do it with Tony.

“Okay. This is all you, though. There’s no pressure. I’m following your lead. You have to tell me what you need.”

Bucky nods in agreement.

Slowly removing his two fingers, the billionaire readjusts his hand and re-enters Bucky with three. Knowing this will be new, he seems to be taking it slow for his partner’s benefit. Bucky appreciates the gesture because… it’s a lot. He feels full in a way he never has before. But a way that he wants to feel more of.

Pausing for a moment, Tony continues to kiss and suck his way down Bucky’s neck to his chest, waiting for his partner to adjust.

Unsure if he’s ready for the other man to start moving, Bucky experimentally squirms on the digits and accidentally hits his own prostate, causing pleasure to spark through him like a live wire. So full and stretched out, the feeling is incredible, beyond anything he’s felt before and he’s immediately hungry for more.

“Move- Move… please, move.” Bucky pants.

Tony complies, fucking his fingers in and out of the soldier, firmly dragging along his prostate with each pass.

The feeling is so much. Bucky is instantly a gasping mess. He knows his cock is leaking a steady stream into the bathwater, so close to coming. He can hear himself whimpering and crying out, creeping ever closer to the edge.

“Can you come like this?” Tony asks, voice sounding like gravel.

“I- I… Oh, god-” Bucky tries to answer, but can’t get the words out.

“I’m not gonna stop until you come or you tell me what you need,” Tony promises.

A nod is all Bucky can manage in response. 

He’s so close, he can feel the heat pooling in his gut, those telltale tendrils of pleasure rolling down his spine. It’s like he’s teetering on the precipice but just can’t seem to find his way over the edge.

“I can’t- can’t… I can’t-” Bucky babbles incoherently, knowing he needs more, but unable to verbalize the need.

“What do you need? Tell me,” Tony demands.

“Please, please, Tony, please…” the soldier pleads, knowing Tony can’t resist begging.

“Damnit, Buck, don’t do that to me,” Tony growls. “You have to tell me, I’ll give you anything. What do you need?”

Even in this moment, at the height of passion, Bucky is struck by how generous Tony is. With him a sobbing, whimpering mess of need it would be so easy for Tony to take over and do whatever he wanted -- Bucky would easily let him -- but he doesn’t. Despite his competitive streak and their stupid wager, he wants this to be what Bucky wants, what he needs.

“Need  _ you _ ,” the younger man finally chokes out. “Your hand- my cock, please. Please, Tony, please… I need you. I need you…”

Something in Bucky’s utterance affects Tony. As the words leave the soldier’s mouth, he sees Tony’s eyes -- already dark with lust -- go almost fully black as his breath hitches and a look that Bucky can’t define comes across his face as he lunges forward to recapture the younger man’s mouth in a scorching kiss.

Wasting no time, as they passionately suck each other’s tongues, Tony’s hand finds his partner’s dick and one firm stroke is all it takes for Bucky’s cock to shoot off like a rocket.

Breaking the kiss, Bucky cries out Tony’s name as his dick expels rope after rope of come that futilely dissolves in the water around them while his hole clenches in rhythm like it’s either trying to draw Tony’s hand in further or push it out, Bucky’s not sure which. What he is sure of is that this is one of the most amazing orgasms he’s ever experienced.

Tony keeps his hand in place and strokes Bucky through his aftershocks, so caught up in the moment that he keeps stroking until the soldier makes a pained sound in overstimulation.

“Good god, Buck,” Tony says as he finally lets go, voice still husky with his own need.

Slumping forward to rest his head in the crook of Tony’s neck, Bucky decides to do something about that need. Reaching through the water, he grabs the older man’s rock hard cock and starts pumping.

Always the quiet one when it comes to sex, Tony doesn’t say much, but he brings his hands up to grip Bucky’s hair and thrusts forward to meet each stroke, panting and grunting.

It doesn’t take long before Tony is coming into Bucky’s fist with a strangled cry.

“That was seven,” Bucky whispers into the billionaire’s ear with a grin.

Tony laughs as he pulls the soldier back in for another, softer kiss.

  
  
  
  


10:18-10:47 PM

Bucky is so spent and drained -- literally -- by this point that he’s not cognizant of much. Other than that he absolutely loves whatever Tony is doing to him right now. 

After their bath, they hadn’t made it further than the master bedroom before collapsing naked onto the bed, Bucky falling asleep. 

After drowsing lazily for a while, slipping in and out of consciousness, the older man begins working Bucky up again.

“This okay?” Tony murmurs.

“Mmm,” Bucky hums in approval, eyes remaining closed.

Allowing himself to float in that space between awake and asleep, the soldier feels amazing under the billionaire’s touch. Like he’s riding a wave that just keeps rising higher and higher until it finally, blissfully crests leaving him floating in a state of euphoria.

“That’s eight,” he hears Tony chuckle lowly.

Some time later -- it could have been minutes or hours, Bucky wouldn’t know for sure -- another amazing wave starts to rise at Tony’s touch. This time, closer to awake than asleep, Bucky feels the mix of pleasure and pain more keenly. He’s come so many times that it’s almost too much. Almost. That doesn’t mean he wants it to stop.

And it doesn’t. When the second wave tumbles over, he cries out, savouring the contradicting sensations coursing through him. Sensations that should cancel each other in there polarity, but somehow only seem to height one another.

Slumping back down onto the bed, spent, Bucky subconsciously snuggles closer to Tony before he lets go of the vestiges of wakefulness.

“That’s nine,” is the last thing he hears whispered in his ear before sleep takes him.

  
  
  
  


11:38 PM

“Wakey-wakey,” Tony’s voice sounds in Bucky’s ear.

“No,” he says back, burrowing into his pillow, unhappy at being woken.

“Come on, Buck, I’ve got another surprise for you,” 

“What kind of surprise?” the soldier asks, unwilling to open his eyes.

Instead of hearing an answer from the other man, Bucky feels something smooth and soft run up the length of his right leg, across his posterior, up his back. He shudders at the sensation.

“You like that?” Tony asks, still moving the object across Bucky’s body.

“Mm-hm.”

“I thought you might.”

At that, they lapse into silence. Tony focused on what he’s doing, Bucky on the feel of what’s being done to him.

After a moment, as the instrument slides across the soldier’s rib cage, it comes to a stop.

“Do you trust me?” Tony asks out of nowhere.

“What?” Bucky responds slowly, confused by the rapid shift. He sits up, turning to look at the other man.

Tony has a long object in his hand made of leather and suede. On one end it has several soft loops of suede that make a fork-like shape, the other end has one single large loop of rigid leather with a suede tassel hanging from it. Bucky suspects the tassel is what Tony was using on him.

“It’s called a tawse,” the billionaire informs him. “It’s good for all kinds of fun.”

Bucky nods.

“Now,” holding up a blindfold, Tony looks at the soldier intently. “I need to know if you trust me,” he says.

Bucky takes a second to think, looking back and forth between Tony and the blindfold. 

He knows that he trusts Tony, they wouldn’t be here if he didn’t, but he’s not sure he trusts himself. As a soldier, that kind of loss of sense can be deadly and can easily trigger old memories to come flooding back to the surface, the kind of memories that are classified. But maybe this is the perfect chance to make new kinds of memories, more pleasurable memories to override the old ones. 

“I trust you,” Bucky says resolutely, mind made up. 

Affixing the blindfold in place, Tony instructs Bucky to lay back and relax.

Without a word uttered between them, the older man resumes. 

Keeping Bucky on his toes, Tony is careful to be unpredictable in his ministrations. Alternating between gentle strokes and firm pressure, suede and leather, whispers of the tassel, the billionaire starts at Bucky’s feet and works his way, carefully avoiding a certain section of the soldier’s anatomy.

With his eyes closed, all Bucky can focus on is the sensation of what’s being done to him. The feel of rigid leather caressing his knees, of suede kissing his hip bone, of the tassel teasing his nipples.

It doesn’t take long for him to start to harden under the attention. No matter how many times he’s come throughout the day, he still stiffens at what the billionaire’s doing. It’s like he can’t help himself where Tony’s concerned.

Despite the soldier’s growing need, Tony doesn’t break his rhythm, he still gently delivers attention to all of the younger man’s body except the part that wants it the most.

But just as Bucky is starting to get desperate, his leaking erection growing painful, he feels warm breath across the tip of his now hypersensitive cock seconds before Tony swallows him down to base.

Bucky can’t help but cry out as the older man immediately starts bobbing his head up and down as he hollows out his cheeks.

Blind, surrounded by heightened sensation, dick thoroughly well used, Bucky begins to feel a little overwhelmed with it all and has to grab hold of Tony’s hair to ground himself.

The billionaire doesn’t even seem to notice, because he doesn’t miss a beat. He’s sucking Bucky off like the soldier’s cock is his last meal on earth and, despite everything, Bucky loves it.

As many times as he’s come today, he knows this isn’t going to be quick, so he forces himself to remain relaxed and enjoy the feel of the other man’s mouth.

After some time, Tony finally abandons the tawse in favor of playing with Bucky’s balls. 

The soldier groans, relishing the feeling.

Tony seems to take that groan as a challenge because he doubles down on his blow job, deep throating Bucky until the younger man can hear him gagging on it.

The billionaire’s throat feels amazing. Between that and the attention to his balls, Bucky feels that familiar heat begin to pool in his gut. He’s beginning to tremble. 

But there’s an edge to the heat this time. He’s come so many times over the course of the day that his body almost can’t handle any more and pain tinges the pleasure.

As he gets closer and closer, that edge of pain becomes more pronounced, almost too much but somehow it’s still not enough. 

Bucky doesn’t know if it’s his own insatiable sexual appetite, denial about his worry for Peter and Morgan, or if this is just the effect Tony has on him, but he just wants more.

Tightening his grip in Tony’s hair, Bucky finally starts to thrust into the other man’s mouth, mercilessly chasing his own pleasure.

If the groan Tony makes in return is any indication, he loves it. And that groan sends a reverberation through Bucky’s cock that finally pushes him over the edge.

His orgasm rips through him. Limbs shaking, he shouts as he comes, the pleasure still mixed with pain, his cock stinging as it shoots off weakly in Tony’s mouth, spent.

Still blissfully trembling, Bucky rolls to his side and pulls Tony with him.

“That’s…” Bucky starts to say.

“-Ten,” Tony finishes just an alarm on his phone chimes midnight. “In ten.”

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, that happened. What'd you think? Are you freaking out that Tony and Bucky had all the sex? Are you freaking out that Bucky is exploring more of his ass? Are you freaking out because you want to know what the fuck is happening to Peter and Morgan right now?
> 
> Let me know in the comment!!! XO
> 
> PS As next Friday is Christmas Day, there will not be an update. Happy holidays if you celebrate this time of year! If, like me, you don't give a shit - good luck surviving mandatory time with your family!


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First chapter of 2021! Happy New Year, everyone! Maybe this year will be better than the last...
> 
> As for me, 2020 had to get in one more parting shot before bowing out. That led to the delay in my posting this chapter, apologies for that. 
> 
> Over the holidays, I learned that my grandfather - the only grandparent I had left - was in hospital. He had Covid-19. Only a few weeks prior, he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's and, while he fought for several days, the combination of Covid and Alzheimer's was too much. He passed away just before New Year's.
> 
> It's hard explain, but he -- Papa, we called him -- was such a special human. He was kind, patient, gentle, quiet, and so full of love. While he experienced so many difficult things in his life, he always had a smile and a kind word for any person that he met. And he was genuinely loved by everyone that got the chance to meet him. The world seems a little less without Papa in it, but the richness he added to the tapestry that is the human experience will never die. Be grateful for the people like Papa that you may have in your life, you never know when it might be their time to go.

Feeling the soreness from the day before, the scalding spray runs down the aching musculature of Bucky’s back. Standing in the shower in his bathroom, he feels the scorching water release some of his physical tension, making room for him to focus solely on the mental tension instead.

This morning, he’d woken up in bed alone, Tony nowhere in sight. 

Last night, after the final round, Bucky had rolled over to go to sleep, beyond exhausted, only to find his whole flank landing in a partially dried patch of his own jizz from some point earlier in the day.

“Ugh,” he said. “Come on, let’s change these sheets before we go to sleep, they’re disgusting.”

“Ha!” Tony laughed. “You want me, Tony Stark, to _change my own sheet_? Uh, ‘fraid not, Buck. Those are the things I pay other people to do for me. However, if you really don’t want to sleep in your own half-crusted, sticky come, then I suggest we move this little party to your bedroom for the night.”

Bucky affectionately rolled his eyes at the ridiculousness of the other man. “Fine, that works,” he said, attempting to stand up.

“Whoa, you all right there?” Tony asked, reaching for Bucky as the soldier wobbled on his feet.

“Jesus…” Bucky laughed incredulously. “My legs are like Jell-o. I don’t know if I can walk right now.”

At that admission, Tony stared at him, eyes blazing with a possessive glimmer, a lascivious smile spreading across his face as he looked more than a little pleased to be the cause of Bucky’s current state.

“You mean, I broke the Special Forces guy?” Tony joked mischievously. “You better hope the enemy never finds out what I know, soldier. Torture would never be the same again.”

Bucky couldn’t help but laugh as he draped his arm across Tony’s shoulder and they slowly made their way across to the soldier’s suite, leaving the soiled sheets behind.

And that’s how they’d crawled into his bed, still chuckling about Bucky’s new, unconventional Achilles heel before nodding off to sleep.

This morning, the soldier’d woken up smiling again, worry for Peter and Morgan pushed to the side as he thought of he and Tony’s escapade the day before. But as he stretched out, he discovered that, for the first time since Peter left, he’d woken up alone, the bed cold beside him.

Confused and feeling the sting of rejection, Bucky’d hopped in the shower hoping to distract himself from the unexpected intensity of his reaction to the other man’s absence. 

Letting the water run down his face, Bucky thinks that maybe the intensity of his response really shouldn’t be such a surprise. He’s known he had feelings for Tony for a long time, he just somehow failed to notice how strong those feelings had grown. But clearly, he’d let those feelings get the better of him and gone too far with his affections. Pushing Tony to focus on him as a means of keeping the other man’s mind off of his stranded family had been too much, had crossed the line. He’d let himself get out of hand and now Tony thought they’d gone too far and regretted it. What other explanation could there be for his abrupt absence?

Finding no solutions to his problems standing in the shower, the soldier snaps off the water and steps out.

In dread of facing Tony, Bucky dresses slowly before heading downstairs for some late breakfast. As he enters the kitchen, noting some traces of the food fight still visible in several places, he finds Tony’s study door closed and sets out making himself something to eat.

Tony appears just as he’s flipping his omelet. 

“Morning,” he says brightly. Bucky wonders if the brightness is false, a put on to pretend everything is okay.

“Morning,” Bucky nods. He attempts to keep the dejected tone from his voice but fails miserably. 

“Ummm…“ Tony says, a confused look crossing his face. “Did you sleep okay?” he awkwardly asks.

The uncomfortable lilt of the billionaire’s voice really gets to Bucky, makes him regret everything that’s happened between them if it’s the cause of the discomfort. Disappointment burns in his gut as he realizes that it looks like his fling with Tony is going to end just as quickly as it began.

“Yeah, I did.” the soldier answers with a tight smile, unable to look the other man in the eye. “Must have slept pretty hard, too, I never even stirred when you got out of bed.”

Tony looks down at his feet. “Listen, Buck-”

“Do you want an omelette?” Bucky interrupts, not wanting to hear what the billionaire has to say next.

“No, thanks,” Tony answers impatiently. “Bucky, I want you to-”

“Don’t, Tony,” the soldier orders softly, cutting Tony off before he can deliver any words that Bucky just doesn’t want to hear.

This brings the billionaire up short. He flinches like Bucky just spat in his face but doesn’t attempt to say anything else. He just stares for a long moment.

The awkward tension stretches on. “Okay,” Tony finally nods, a shuttered, unreadable look on his face.

Turning back to the range, Bucky hears the other man exit the kitchen and sighs. This is not how he hoped this day was going to go.

Barely touching his breakfast, the soldier just sits in the kitchen for a long time, long enough that the food goes cold and turns rubbery before he tosses it and heads upstairs to look for something to distract himself from their current circumstances. 

Walking into his bedroom, Bucky stops when he sees Tony standing next to the same side of the bed he’d slept on the night before.

“Sorry, I’m just looking for my phone,” Tony says, looking guilty for being in Bucky’s room, like he’s not welcome there. “Thought I’d try and call Peter for four thousandth time and see if it goes through,” he tries to joke through the tension, but it falls flat. “I’ll just get out of your hair, though.”

As the billionaire brushes past him to leave, Bucky can’t help the frustration that bubbles to the surface. How were things between them so wrong today when, despite everything, they’d been so right yesterday?

“Jesus,” he irritatedly huffs before he can stop himself. “You can’t even stand to be in the same room with me now?”

Tony comes to an abrupt halt, turning to face the soldier with an aggravatedly perplexed look on his face. “I didn’t think you wanted me around,” he is quick to defend.

“Why would I not want you around?” Bucky fires back. “It’s clearly you that doesn’t want to be around me!”

“Why would I not want to be around you?!”

“You tell me!”

“This is ridiculous!”

“If it’s so ridiculous, then why bother?!” Bucky throws over his shoulder as he dashes out of the room, no longer able to stand still, needing to move.

“Why bother, _indeed_!” Tony fires after him, following Bucky down the stairs.

“What’s that supposed to mean?!” the soldier yells, barreling into the living room.

“It means, if you were going to regret this thing with me then why bother letting it happen in the first place?!”

“What the hell are you talking about?!”

“It’s obviously that you wish you and I had never gotten together, that we’d just stayed the way we were!”

“Don’t be an idiot, I wanted you to make a move on me!”

“You got a funny way of showing it!”

“Me?! You’re the one that clearly wants to turn back the clock and erase the last few days!”

“What the fuck?! No, I don’t!”

“Oh, come off it! You couldn’t even sleep in the same bed with me last night!”

“I’m an insomniac, you idiot!!! I couldn’t sleep at all! I got up so I didn’t wake you up, too!”

“What?!” Bucky bellows. “You didn’t leave because I made you uncomfortable and you freaked out?!”

“No!!!” Tony retorts, shaking his head. “You mean, you didn’t brush _me_ off this morning because you thought we were a mistake together?!”

“Of course not!!! Don’t be stupid!”

“Look at you calling someone else stupid!”

“We’re both stupid!” Bucky shouts, anger fading away into something else equally fiery as he takes a step toward the other man.

“Complete idiots!” exclaims Tony back, matching Bucky’s step forward.

“Morons!” the soldier yells, stepping closer still.

“Stooges!” Tony shouts, closing the last of the gap between them.

And with that, their lips crash together, all previous anger turning into passion as they devour one another's mouths, sucking each other’s tongues as their arms scramble to pull the other closer still. 

They’re so caught up in the kiss, in the relief of the knowledge that neither regrets what’s happened between them, that the rest of the world disappears for a moment. A moment long and strong enough that they don’t hear a ding that echoes nearby. Long and strong enough that both men are completely startled when a voice sounds from across the room.

“Well, it’s about damn time.”

Jolting and jumping apart, both men snap their heads towards the voice in unison to find Peter, Morgan on his hip, gazing at them with an indulgent smirk on his face.

“Peter,” Tony exalts in reverent relief as he rushes over to envelope his husband and daughter in a bone-crushing hug, burying his face between theirs and drinking them in.

Bucky shifts on his feet nearby, uncertain of where he stands as watches the reunion unfolding before him. He’s not sure he’s ever felt such an extreme polarity of emotions all at once before. On the one hand, he is ecstatic to see Peter and Morgan in the flesh, to know that they are okay, unharmed. But on the other hand, he’s absolutely petrified at what Peter’s return implies for his relationship with Tony and dreads finding out. They haven’t talked about it, and seeing as how, less than five minutes ago, they were screaming at each other and then trying to suck each other’s tongues in the same breath, the stability of their fledgling _thing_ feels a little dubious. He doesn’t want to lose what he and Tony have gained.

Pulling apart from his husband, Peter looks to the soldier as he shifts Morgan to her other father waiting arms.

“Bucky,” Peter murmurs his name like a benediction, leaving Bucky breathless, a warmth blooming in his chest as the younger man wraps him in an embrace.

“Pete,” Bucky breathes back, holding tight.

“God, I missed you.”

“Right back at you, kid,” the soldier whispers, pulling back to look Peter over.

“How did you guys even get here?” Tony asks over the top of Morgan’s head.

“It’s a long story,” Peter sighs, leaning into Bucky and suddenly looking exhausted. “The short answer is Carol -- she’s downstairs. I’m too tired for the long answer, I’ll tell you later.”

Before Tony can respond, a little voice cuts him off.

“‘Key,” the voice calls, distracting them all. “‘Key!” she demands again, reaching out, asking for her chance to say ‘hello’ to the soldier.

At the joy on Morgan’s face, Bucky’s throat goes so tight that he’s unable to speak as he reaches for her. Pulling her into his arms, the soldier buries his face in her little curls, taking in her scent as he feels a new, powerful sense of peace blanket him. She’s safe, Peter is safe, they’re both home. Some part of him wonders if this, the calm he’s feeling at their return, is what being part a family feels like.

“So…“ Peter archly says, pulling Bucky back to the moment. “What did you two do while we were gone?” he asks suggestively.

Going stock still, Bucky grips Morgan tighter as he feels his heart rate increase and finds that his throat has gone tight again for a whole different reason. This is it. The moment of truth. The moment where it all comes out in the open and then it all falls apart.

“We found some interesting ways of keeping each other entertained,” Tony obtusely says, smiling broadly. How can he be smiling at a moment like this? Doesn’t he know that this is all about to crumble?!

“You looked pretty entertained with one another when we walked in…” Peter playfully accuses. At least, he sounds playful to Bucky, but that can’t be right, can it? Is it really that simple? 

“Yes, baby, Bucky is _very_ entertaining,” Tony admits as he leans in to kiss Peter with a satisfied smirk. 

Clapping and squealing, Morgan's glee at her fathers’ display of affection distracts Bucky from his internal turmoil. Still applauding, she turns to grin at the soldier as though to share in the sheer delight that is her two dads kissing and Bucky can’t help but smile back, losing some of his worries in her carefree presence.

“You like that, little lady?” Tony asks, stepping closer to muss her beautiful curls. “You like when I kiss daddy?”

Morgan just keeps giggling and nods enthusiastically. So, Tony indulges her and leans in to peck Peter on the cheek this time.

This delights Morgan again as she peels with laughter.

“Silly baby,” Peter affectionately chuckles. He surprises both his daughter and the man holding her when, this time, to amuse his child, he leans in to kiss Bucky on the cheek. This brings her new levels of delight as she positively cackles with glee at father’s unexpected actions.

By this point, the infectiousness of a child’s unaffected laughter has become too much for them to resist. The combined relief of finally knowing that everyone is safe and home, together with Morgan’s innocent mirth has them all giggling like idiots.

Morgan turns to Bucky and, judging by the expectant look on her face, it seems to be his turn to amuse her. His laughter dries up, previous worries returning.

He glances from Peter to Tony and back again, feeling ridiculously uncertain. He has feelings for both men, wants to be with both of them, wants both of them to want to be with him. But a part of him feels like that’s asking too much, like he’d be trying to have his cake and eat it too, this cake that he just can’t seem to get enough of. 

Feeling totally unsure of his next move, Bucky cops out and leans down to kiss Morgan on the forehead instead.

This is _not_ what she wanted. “No,” she shakes her head.

“No?” he asks teasingly, pretending not to understand.

“No!” she reiterates.

This time, she grabs Bucky by the collar and leans herself towards Peter. Bucky knows what she’s asking for, but still hesitates. 

“You wouldn’t deny this baby what she wants, would you, Buck?” the younger man asks with a grin.

Always unable to resist the effects that smile, Bucky finds himself leaning in to caress his lips against Peter’s. Lingering for a moment, the fondness and acceptance that he feels radiating from the other man begin to crumble the walls of doubt that have arisen inside of Bucky.

As they pull apart, the soldier’s mind reeling, Morgan makes it clear that that’s not all she expects from him. Before Bucky and Peter have fully separated, she grabs the soldier’s collar again and leans towards her other father.

Tony looks meaningfully into Bucky’s eyes, a silent promise held in his gaze. He’s not going to do anything to push Bucky; whatever the soldier does next, whatever he’s comfortable with, that’s all on him. And at that -- that patience, that unspoken support, that complete respect for him and his boundaries -- pushes down the last of the walls of uncertainty Bucky had allowed himself to build. He can do this. _They_ can do this. Can make this work. The three of them. Together. 

“You heard the lady,” Peter says with a smile, clearly understanding the significance of this moment for Bucky.

At those final words of support, Bucky beams as he shifts Morgan in his hold to lean in and kiss Tony properly.

As their lips meet, the men can’t help but smile into the kiss as Morgan grabs both of their cheeks and pushes their faces closer together while she lets loose a happy shrill.

“Okay, honey,” Peter says to her as he pulls her from Bucky’s arms, never interrupting their kiss. “Let’s give Daddy and Bucky a minute to themselves. We’ll go see what kind of state these messy men have left this place in since I’ve been gone.”

Bucky is vaguely aware that Peter and Morgan have walked away but he just keeps on kissing Tony, revelling in the ability to do so.

They keep the kiss going for a long moment -- never heating it up, just enjoying the close affection -- but when they finally break apart, both men still find themselves a little breathless.

Looking pleased with himself, Tony can’t seem to keep that smug smirk from returning to his face as he hugs Bucky. Ignoring the other man’s self-satisfaction, Bucky leans in to the embrace, feeling and sharing-in Tony’s relief and joy for a moment.

“Tony!” comes Peter’s annoyed call from the kitchen, breaking the moment.

“Uh, yes, dear?” Tony responds over Bucky’s shoulder, voice carefully neutral.

“Why is there- What _is_ that? Is it…? Why is there _caramel_ stuck to the kitchen ceiling?!”

“Oh, no,” Tony playfully grumbles, laughing guiltily into Bucky’s shoulder. “We never cleaned that up, did we?”

“This is absolutely ridiculous, it’s like having three children instead of one and somehow _the baby_ is the cleanest,” Peter laments to himself from the kitchen.

“That’s not all,” Bucky stage whispers into Tony’s ear. “Wait until he sees the sheets.”

“Oh, god,” Tony groans, pretending to hide his face in the crook of the soldier’s neck.

Bucky chuckles as he pulls the other man into the kitchen to face Peter’s wrath as they confess the further mayhem they’ve left in their wake. 

.o0o.

Feeling towering from his current position atop of the kitchen island, Bucky kneels down to rinse his rag in the bucket of warm, soapy water by his feet. 

Ever the neat freak, Peter had agreed to forgive him and Tony for their messes if they agreed to change the sheets, wash the dirty ones, and clean the kitchen ceiling immediately. So, after an early dinner and putting Morgan to bed, the two had made quick work of the bedding and were now making headway in the kitchen; Bucky climbing onto the island when Tony took the step stool to clean above the refrigerator while Peter and Carol sat at the bar to critique their work.

“Is it later now?” Bucky asks as he stands back up to tackle a particularly sticky patch of dried strawberry sauce. “We’d really like to know how you got back here when everything is still shut down.”

“A tank,” Peter says rapturously.

“A _tank_?” Tony splutters, shocked.

“We did not ride back in a tank, Peter,” Danvers chastises. “We were escorted _behind_ a tank.”

“You tell the story your way, I’ll tell it mine,” Peter grins at her.

“So, there was a tank…” Bucky prompts.

“Well, when we got up this morning, the water in the streets had finally gone all the way down, so Carol went out to take a look around. She saw a National Guard unit setting up right down the street and, when she walked over, one of them just so happened to be her ex-”

“He’s _not_ my ex-boyfriend,” Carol interrupted, playfully annoyed.

“I’ll be sure May knows that,” Peter teases her. Bucky wonders what that’s supposed to mean. Especially when he notices a blush creep across Danvers’ face.

“Like Peter said, I happened to run across an old friend from a stint at a joint base,” Avenger continues, taking over the story. “They were checking the area to see when the roads could reopen, but it wasn’t looking good for any time soon. Luckily, I was able to sweet talk my buddy and his commanding officer into sneaking us back as part of their convoy. I had to throw around a lot of names and call in a lot of favors to do it, but it was worth it. _Oh_ ,” she adds, looking to Tony. “I may have promised to throw in some yet-to-be-released StarkTech to sweeten the deal.”

“They can have all the StarkTech they want,” Tony promises. “You could have offered them my entire fortune if that’s what it took to get Peter and Morgan home.”

“I’ll remember that for next time,” she grins, standing up. “If you don’t mind, since it seems I’m going to be stuck _here_ now until the roads reopen, Peter promised me the apartment downstairs. So, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go get settled in.”

They say their goodnight’s as she heads for the lift and Tony and Bucky return to their scrubbing.

After a few moments of quietly cleaning, Bucky feels the prickle on the back of his neck that tells him someone is watching him. Not taking the time to look and see if it’s Peter or Tony, the soldier just makes sure to be a little more deliberate with his movement, flexing his muscles just so to put on a little show.

Slowly bending down to the bucket on the counter, Bucky really puts his assets on display as he strategically flexes his glutes. He hears Peter shift in his seat as Tony chuckles from somewhere behind him.

“What’s so funny?” Bucky innocently asks over his shoulder.

“Like you don’t know, you saucy little minx,” Tony counters.

“Who, me?” the soldier feigns ignorance. But standing back up, he strikes a series of ridiculous bodybuilder poses.

“That’s it!” Peter says, slapping the counter top as he abruptly rises. “I don’t care if there’s shit all over the ceiling anymore. I haven’t seen you two in days and you’ve been having all of this hot sex without out me and I’ve been stuck with no place to masturbate in peace and my balls are so blue they’re about to fall off! Is somebody going to do something about that?”

“Oh god, yes,” Tony says.

“ _Absolutely_ ,” Bucky utters at the same time.

“Glad to hear it,” Peter states, making a beeline for the stairs.

Tony and Bucky pause to look at each other, twin grins spreading across their faces as they climb down and dart after him.

With the world still in uncertain chaos around them, with everything shut down, with a return to normalcy nowhere in sight, with a stalker still out on the loose, there's plenty to worry about. But in that moment, rushing up the stairs, eyes glued to Peter’s spectacular ass, Tony’s hand lightly on his back, Bucky can’t bring himself to care about any of it. Nothing aside from the two men beside him and the little girl sleeping upstairs matters tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With everything happening in my life, this chapter came out much fluffier that originally intended but I'm not sad about it. What do you all think?
> 
> Also, hold on to your hats because next week shit starts to hit the fan!!! I'm so excited, you have no idea!
> 
> As always, I live for your comments and kudos. Leave them often. Thanks!


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update!
> 
> In the middle of this chapter you will find a small section between two horizontal lines, please see end notes for explanation. Thanks!

It’s been days. And while Bucky feels really awkward about what he’s about to do, he can’t help it anymore. It’s been _days_.

So, sun just beginning to set outside, Bucky quietly gets up and sneaks into the hall so as not to disturb his new roommate’s slumber and steps into the next room, silently closing the door before turning on the lights. It’s been a while since he’s been in this room. The stark, contrasting black and white decor reminds him of a time when all of this -- the opulence, the affluent luxury -- was so new and scary to him. But times have changed and it feels very different being back here again.

Settling on the black leather settee, the soldier takes in the playroom and allows his mind to wander. Of course, it doesn’t take long for his thoughts to wander directly back to a night just a few days ago. A night that Bucky wishes had ended very differently.

  
  
  
  


Tony roughly shoved him against the bedroom wall, devouring his mouth, sharply nipping at his lower lip, while Peter frantically removed Bucky clothes as he tried to get his hands on every inch of the soldier’s chest that he could. It felt so good, almost too good to be true, like something out of a dream. Or a porno.

After their romantic evening together with Tony's amazing dinner and a couple of bottles of wine split between them, Bucky was so caught up in the moment and just tipsy enough that his inhibitions were lowered. With liquid courage flowing in his veins, all of the sudden, the thing he’d been thinking about, fantasizing about, and chickening out of ever since her and Tony were trapped in the storm, came flying out of his mouth.

“Tony, I want you to fuck me.”

At that, everyone froze, the only sound in the room their frantic breathing.

The older man pulled back, eyes wide, mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water.

Peter was the first to regain his composure and speak. “Baby, are you sure about that?” 

“I’m sure,” Bucky panted, turning to look the younger man in the eye. “I want this.”

“ _Christ_ ,” was all Tony said. Devouring his mouth again, the billionaire grabbed Bucky and dragged him to the bed. Peter was right there, making quick work of removing the rest of the soldier’s clothes. Before Bucky knew it, all three men were tangled in bed completely naked, kissing each other all over.

“You ready for this?” Peter asked, already looking debauched.

Bucky was man enough to admit that, even buzzed, he was nervous, but nevertheless, he nodded and let Peter orient them on the bed until he ended up on all fours with Tony behind him and Peter beneath him.

“Focus on me,” the younger man said, running his hands down Bucky's torso.

As Peter's hands made there way down to Bucky’s achingly hard dick and Tony, fingers now slick, began opening him up, Bucky thought how this night was not going at all the way the way he thought it would when they had planned it, but found he was A-okay with that.

In the couple of weeks since Peter and Morgan made their way home, the city had begun to return to normal after the storm. That, however, didn’t mean that their lives had returned to normal, they were still as chaotic as always, now with flooded streets, damaged buildings, and general post-hurricane tumult on top of everything else.

So, tonight they had asked Happy to keep Morgan for the night to have some time to themselves. They’d had to plan it because, once the worst of the storm damage cleared, the real impact was felt and Tony, ever the philanthropist, had needed to spend an exorbitant amount of time at The Tower organizing aid for the city. Peter, Bucky, and Morgan came along and occupied the eighty-second floor while he worked, but it wasn’t exactly the quality time they needed. 

_This_ was the quality time they needed.

Peter’s skilled hands, joined by his equally skilled mouth, kept Bucky occupied while Tony slowly worked him open, one finger at a time. By the time he was up to three the soldier couldn’t deny that it was a lot. Despite the pleasure, there was discomfort too, but that didn’t mean he wanted Tony inside him any less.

“That’s enough,” he stated as Tony worked in a fourth finger. “I’m ready.”

“All right, roll over,” the billionaire instructed, patting his hip.

Bucky made to comply but before he could, Peter grabbed his face, his eyes blazing. 

“Next time, you are going to fuck me while he’s fucking you,” he said, pupils blown with lust. "Your dick will be inside me while his dick is inside you and together we're going to blow your mind."

At those words, twin groans escaped Bucky and Tony.

“Fuck, babe,” the older man grunted. “You keep saying stuff like that and this party will be over before it’s started.”

“This party better not be over,” Bucky threatened breathlessly.

As they rearranged themselves on the bed with Bucky on his back, a pillow under his hips, and Peter plastered to his side, Tony smiled at him with a wicked gleam in his eye.

“Don’t worry, sweetheart,” he said, leaning forward to lick a stripe up the entire length of Bucky’s chest. “There's no shutting this party down now.”

As Tony brought a hand up to tweak his nipple, Bucky couldn't stop himself, he grabbed the billionaire’s face and pulled him into a scorching kiss.

“Jesus, Tony,” he huffed into the billionaire’s mouth. “Stop torturing me and get on with it.”

Tony seemed only too happy to comply and leaned back to slick up his dick as Peter took his turn to recapture Bucky’s mouth before moving down to suck his neck.

As Tony loomed over him, taking his cock in hand to line it up with Bucky’s hole, the soldier felt a clenching in his stomach. This was really happening.

“You ready?” Tony asked, voice low.

Bucky opened his mouth to speak but before he could respond, a phone buzzed and “Shiny Happy People” by REM filled the room.

They all groaned in tandem. That was Happy's ringtone on Tony's phone and all three knew that the other man had been given instructions not to call unless it was absolutely necessary.

"Shit," Peter sighed, dropping his forehead onto the soldier's chest in defeat as Tony picked up the phone.

“Guess the party’s over…” Bucky said.

  
  
  
  


Back on the settee in the playroom of the apartment downstairs, Bucky knows how that night ended. Knows that Happy came down with the flu and had to call them to come get Morgan, putting an abrupt end to their evening. But that was in reality, and right now, as he sits jacking his hard and leaking dick remembering that night, Bucky doesn’t want to think about reality. Instead he imagines what Tony’s fat cock would have felt like inside him, filling his ass, thrusting in and out of him, stretching him in ways he’s never felt before. What Tony would have looked like as it happened, face flushed, pupils dilated, dripping with sweat as he his hips move. How Peter would have felt pressed against him, pumping his fist on Bucky’s cock, licking and sucking at his nipples. 

The number of days he’s gone without release combined with the torrid images his mind has created is enough to push Bucky right over the edge.

Grunting loudly, he comes into his own hand, back arching as he quakes thinking about what it will be like when his fantasy finally becomes reality. 

Leaning his head back against the cushion, Bucky takes a minute to revel in his much needed release. Since he and Peter got together, his body had gotten used to _lots_ of sex but that hadn’t been possible over the last several days.

Despite their best efforts, the flu had not stayed contained. Happy, who had picked it up from Danvers (the asymptomatic carrier), gave it to Peter, who gave it to Tony. Peter even mentioned that May had come down with it this year, catching it from someone close to her. So far, the only ones to dodge the plague were Bucky and Morgan, who had temporarily moved to the downstairs apartment to avoid contamination.

It's doubly disappointing that everyone is sick right now because tomorrow is Thanksgiving and Tony and Peter’s usual dinner for all their friends and family has had to be cancelled. They’d be spending the day in bed, eating whatever they were able of the meal the soldier planned to prepare, while Bucky and Morgan celebrated with a tiny feast of their own so the day didn’t pass unobserved.

Peeking his head back into his former bedroom, the one he's temporarily cohabitating with the fifteen-month-old, Bucky sees that Morgan is still napping in her portable cot, so he grabs the baby monitor and heads upstairs to check on the convalescents.

Bucky is surprised as steps out of the lift to hear Tony’s voice emanating from the study, sounding more than a little unhappy.

“What is his condition?” Tony asks, voice still full of authority despite his illness.

Displeased that the older man is up and about, Bucky walks right in the door, scowl evident on his face.

Tony sees him and nods, but brings his attention right back to the phone held to his ear.

“What hospital?” he enquires, losing patience with whomever he is speaking to. “That’s neither here nor there, I asked what hospital he’s being treated in.

“No, that’s- … I understand why you think that, but there’s no way…”

Bucky can feel Tony’s irritation growing as he scrubs a hand across his face, shaking his head at whatever he hears on the other end of the line.

“You do whatever you need to do, but I’m telling you now that you’re wrong. He’s not the guy.”

That piques the soldier’s interest.

“Yeah, well, have fun spinning your wheels in the mud… Happy Thanksgiving to you, too,” Tony snarks, hanging up.

“Was that the FBI?” Bucky asks as soon as the phone leaves his ear.

“Yes, Agent Coulson called with an update. They finally have a lead, but it’s bullshit. They’re chasing their tails.”

“What have they found?”

* * *

“Wade Wilson, someone Peter was with before you came along-”

“He told me about him,” Bucky interjects.

Tony nods. “Well then, he probably told that the guy’d been popping all kinds of pills and drinking everything in sight and he went off his nut. Started talking to himself -- something about cables and wolverines -- then he painted all over the walls and said the yellow and white were talking to him. It was a shit show. But the thing is, through all of that, he was never violent towards Peter, never tried to hurt him, or anyone else that we know of. And _I_ never even met the guy. So, how does he know about me, the lake house, that I have a weakness for obscure old timey candy, any of it? It doesn’t make any sense. 

“All that aside, when shit hit the fan, Peter swore up and down that he was a nice guy that just got lost in his demons, so we put him in an in-patient place upstate. According to his doctors, he’s been making steady progress. A few months ago he got moved to the step-down unit. Of course, that means he's free to come and go as he pleases during the day so long as he checks out and back in. But there was a fire at the facility two nights ago, it was arson -- which isn’t all that surprising considering the place houses people dealing with some pretty serious issues -- but Wilson's been missing ever since. Now Coulson thinks that he’s the one that started the fire, that he was trying to escape to come here for Peter. I don't buy it. I think they need somewhere to point the finger and he's the easiest target.

"Besides, the guy was Canadian Special Operations Forces-”

Bucky shifts a little upon hearing that. Peter clearly has a type when it comes to his extracurricular acquaintances and he’s not sure how he feels about that.

“-if he wanted to start a fire, he would have made it look accidental. On top of that, there’s no way in hell this guy has the means or capability to hack into SI. Coulson can claim he called in favors from his army days until he’s blue in the face, but it’s bullshit. Pete knows people like no one else I’ve ever known, sees through them, and if he says Wilson isn't the guy, then I believe him.”

“Yeah,” Bucky skeptically agrees. “You’re right, Peter does have a way of seeing through people, but what if he's wrong about this one?”

“He isn't, Buck,” Tony says, exhaustion coming through. “Wade Wilson is not the guy.”

Bucky can see that the other man is dead on his feet and nothing they say or do standing in the middle of his study is going to solve anything so he lets it go for now, not nearly as convinced as Tony.

“Whether he’s the guy or not, you need to get back to bed before you keel over.”

“I don’t know what you mean, I’m healthy as a horse,” Tony grins halfheartedly through his peaked visage. 

Bucky just rolls his eyes at that.

* * *

“How’s my girl?” Tony asks, changing the subject.

“Good. She’s sleeping, but when she wakes up we’re going to run to the market and pick up a few things for tomorrow. You guys need anything?”

“A cure for influenza would be great, if they have it,” Tony jokes.

“They may be out this close to the holiday, but I'll grab two if they've got them,” Bucky jests back.

“Thanks, Buck, you’re the best,” the billionaire smiles tiredly but earnestly. 

Bucky beams back and feels his chest warm when he sees just how much Tony means those words. 

.o0o.

This was a bad idea. Trying to take a baby to the grocery store the evening before Thanksgiving… Bucky was not prepared for what a colossally bad idea this was.

After checking the cupboards before they left, the soldier found that they had almost everything they needed. Really, all they were missing was cranberry sauce and the crunchy onions for the top of the green bean casserole. So, he’d bundled Morgan up in her little coat and headed for the store down the block, assuming it would be a short trip. Oh, how wrong he’d been.

The store was absolute chaos. There were no baskets left, so Bucky’d had to juggle Morgan, and their purchases without one. It took forever to find any cranberry sauce, they nabbed the last can on the shelf, some off-brand he’d never heard of but hoped was edible. And they looked high and low, but the store was completely out of french fried onions, so Bucky gave up and just bought regular onions, figuring he could fry them himself. Then they finally made their way to the check out only to have to wait _forever_ to pay for their items.

Morgan had been a real trooper through it all. Never getting fussy or complaining about the crowded aisles and grumpy last minute shoppers. She’d been her usual cheery self, smiling at strangers and chattering away at Bucky all through the store. But, all-in-all, their simple trip to the neighborhood store had taken over two hours and it's well past her bedtime when they finally head for home along the now empty streets.

As they pass an alley, Bucky hears something and slows down before spotting a mangy stray.

“Cat,” Morgan proudly says, utilizing the new word Bucky recently taught her.

“That’s right, honey, cat,” he smiles.

“Smart girl,” a voice calls from behind them.

“Thanks,” Bucky impassively says over his shoulder without breaking his stride.

“Oh my god! You’re Sergeant Rainbow, aren’t you?” the stranger excitedly enquires. This time as they speak, Bucky hears that their voice sounds... well, it sounds like every stereotype of what a gay guys voice sounds like and leaves the soldier wondering if this dude is trying to make fun of him or that's how he really talks.

Bucky audibly sighs in irritation, readjusting his hold on Morgan and the paper bag he’s carrying but never slowing down.

“Yeah, that’s me,” he huffs. 

“I didn’t know you had a kid,” the guy says, keeping step with them now.

Jesus, this guy cannot take a hint, Bucky thinks.

“Just keeping an eye on her for her folks,” he says.

“She’s so cute,” the guy drawls, Bucky realizing the affectation is clearly a put on. “What’s her name?”

“Listen, man,” Bucky says, finally stopping as his temper gets the better of him. Turning to give this asshole a piece of his mind, before he sees who he's talking to Bucky suddenly feels a sharp sting in the side of his neck.

Without warning, his vision starts to swim, blackness encroaching around the edges. 

The paper bag falls to the ground, an onion rolling away.

Morgan cries out as the sidewalk starts to move closer to his face.

As the darkness takes more of his sight, Bucky’s only thought is to turn and protect the baby in his arms.

Feeling the back of his head crack into the pavement at full force as Morgan screams, the last thing the soldier sees before the blackness overtakes him is a guy in a dark sweatshirt with the hood up coming slowly towards them.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this chapter took us all over the place! There was almost smut, sickness, finally some headway on the stalker, holiday chaos, and... a kidnapping? Oh my god!!!
> 
> I'm dying to know who you guys think the stalker is! Tell me in the comments!!! You'll have to wait until Chapter 20 to find out for sure, but I want to hear your theories. And hold on to your underwear because the next chapter is going to be nuts!!!!!!
> 
> As always, comments, kudos, and subscriptions keep me motivated and remind me that I'm not just writing this story for myself. Please leave them often. Thanks!  
> _________________________________________________________________________________________________  
> Update 1/17/21 8:51pm US CST:
> 
> If you are reading this chapter after the above time, please disregard this note and know that the part of the chapter contained between the two horizontal lines is correct and you have read the accurate version of this chapter. To anyone that read the chapter prior to the above time, my sincere apologies. I mistakenly combined parts from two separate drafts and the wrong version got posted. It has now been corrected. While it's not necessary to reread the whole chapter, I strongly encourage you to go back and read the few paragraphs that have been edited (those contained between the horizontal lines), it will be important for the next chapter and beyond. I'm so sorry that you read something that was incorrect and will, sadly, take a little of the mystery away from upcoming chapters. I was very tired when I originally posted this and just didn't see it. Thanks for your understanding.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WAIT, STOP!!! Read this before you proceed!
> 
> If you read the previous chapter before Sunday evening, January 17, please go back and reread the end notes. I made a mistake and accidentally combined two drafts and one contained some important details that have changed. Sorry for the error and that it will alter your knowledge of a couple of details to come. 
> 
> TW:  
> Moderate violence, blood, vomit. Nothing overly explicit in my opinion, but if you don't want to risk, there's a summary in the end notes.

Old blood has a smell to it. Blood old enough that it has seeped into its surroundings and settled into the nooks and crannies and places that can never be cleaned. It’s a very distinctive scent that never goes away, an odor that most people will never smell and certainly wouldn’t recognize. Bucky isn’t most people.

Attempting to open his eyes as he slowly returns to consciousness, the soldier finds that his vision is a blur. He can make out nothing of his surroundings, but he can smell that stench of old, dried blood and it puts him on edge before he even comes to.

Slowly and fruitlessly attempting to open his eyes, Bucky groans when a searing pain shoots through his head as it lulls to the side and he feels like he’s going to be sick. Bile burning the back of his throat, he lurches forward only to find that he can’t move, he’s restrained.

“Well, look who finally decided to wake up,” a vaguely familiar voice taunts from somewhere close by. “Guess you’re not going to OD on the Ketamine after all.”

Unable to stop the inevitable, Bucky sicks up down the front of himself. The scent of old blood now overrun by the stink of his own vomit makes the soldier’s stomach roil uproariously as he heaves again. 

“Son of a bitch! Fucking faggot, just got puke all over my shoes!”

The shouts are the last thing Bucky hears before a fist makes contact with his zygomatic and he blacks out once more.

.o0o. 

Pain. Pain radiating through his whole body like he’s been bludgeoned from head to toe rouses Bucky for a second time, a tormented moan passing his lips.

“Hey,” a voice softly says from somewhere nearby. It’s a voice the soldier knows he’s heard before but can’t place.

Breathing heavily through the hurt, Bucky finally pries his eyes open and tries to bring them into focus. All he can make out is a blurred figure lurking in his periphery. 

Blinking furiously, Bucky’s head spins. He feels the nausea threatening to empty his stomach again as he attempts to look around and make out his surroundings.

“Take it easy,” the voice warns, sounding timid and unsure. “Um, here, have some water.”

Looking up as the figure steps closer, the soldier is finally able to bring some details into relief. Standing in front of him is a man in a sweatshirt with the hood up. His shoulders are hunched forward as he looks down at the floor, shuffling from one foot to the other holding a bottle of water. 

Despite his addled state, Bucky is thrown, he still can’t see the guy’s face but this is not what he expected; this guy is scared.

Stepping closer, the figure produces a straw from the pocket of his sweatshirt and places it into the bottle with a shaking hand before feeding the other end into Bucky’s mouth.

The stale taste of bile and sick coating the back of his tongue prompts the soldier to accept the offering without thought. Leaning forward, he gingerly sips the proffered beverage, letting it slowly clear his mouth. 

This close, he can look up and make out the other guy’s face now. A face he’s never seen before. All the questions the FBI asked, all the photo lineups they had shown them, this guy never came up. Bucky doesn’t know who this kid is. And kid is right because there’s no way he’s any older than eighteen, maybe nineteen. 

But Bucky doesn’t even really have time to think about what that might mean because as his sight has begun to clear, so have the memories of what happened. 

Cold terror consumes his gut as it all comes flooding back to him; a stranger in a sweatshirt with the hood up, a jab to the neck, falling to the ground, the sounds of crying as the stranger descended upon them.

The soldier heaves again, his stomach violently expelling the water he just consumed.

Where is she? Where is Morgan? 

Unseeing eyes darting around the room, all of Bucky’s military training goes out the window as a panic like he’s never known overtakes him. He should be able to calmly assess his surroundings and utilize his honed skill set to formulate a plan of action, but in this moment he can’t think of anything but the sound of Morgan’s cries distantly echoing through his foggy memories.

“Whoa, take it easy,” the kid tells him.

“Don’t tell me to take it easy,” Bucky chokes out. 

“Man, you’re gonna make things worse if you don’t chill out.”

Bucky shakes his head vehemently, his breath coming in quick gasps that feel like fire grating against the walls of his chest. “Tell me where the baby is.”

“Seriously, dude, if you don’t calm down…”

“Where’s the baby?!”

Feeling himself hyperventilating as dark spots dance in front of his eyes, Bucky doesn’t care. 

I _have_ to find her, is the last frantic thought that crosses the soldier’s mind before consciousness slips away yet again.

.o0o. 

The sound of distant, aggravated voice has aggravated the pounding in Bucky’s head causing him to come back to for the third time - well, he’s pretty sure it’s the third time.

“That wasn’t the deal… I don’t give a shit, you pick it up like we agreed…”

Despite the post-doped ache radiating throughout his body, the soldier’s mind feels a little clearer now, like whatever he was drugged with has started to work its way out of his system. 

This newfound mental clarity immediately elicits thoughts of escape, of getting to Morgan, and prompts Bucky to do a quick mental scan of his own body for injuries. He needs to know how capable he is right now.

No stranger to being wounded, he knows what a concussion feels like and would guess that he has a grade two. Along with that and the stabbing pain pressing behind his eyes, when he moves his head, he can feel the sticky crustiness of blood dried in his hair -- he hit the ground hard when he went down in the street. But beyond that, there doesn’t seem to be any further damage to his person. That’s good news.

Hoping for more good news, Bucky ignores the escalating phone conversation echoing in the distance and hazards a look around to take in the environment and figure out how to get the fuck out of here.

Scanning the room, he appears to be in an abandoned factory - more specifically, what looks to be an abandoned slaughter house, a meat packing plant 

Beneath buzzing, jaundiced fluorescence, Bucky takes in the derelict, ramshackled room and it takes him a second to make sense of what he sees. He’s bound to a chair permanently affixed to the floor in front of a small out of date control panel that doesn’t look like it’s been used since the seventies. The control panel must be for the large, broken-down industrial conveyor belt snaking through the back of the room. Looking up, the soldier sees rows and rows of meat hooks descending from the ceiling. Scanning to his left, he notes a thick, rusted metal door trimmed in rubber sealing that stands ajar and puts the pieces together; he’s in the old walk-in freezer.

Okay, he now has an idea of where he’s being held -- that’s something -- but there are no windows in a freezer, so Bucky has no idea _when_ he’s being held. He still has no idea how long he was out, how long Morgan has been away from him, and that has sheer terror clawing its way right back to the surface, threatening to pull him under.

Employing every ounce of will power he has in his body, Bucky closes his eyes and forces himself to breathe in and out, to lower his heart rate, to bring himself back from the edge of hysteria. There’s no time for panic now, he has to get out of here.

Hoping for more good news, the soldier looks down and breathes a sigh of relief; he’s been bound with cheap nylon fibre rope - whoever secured him obviously didn’t think that choice through when tying up a man with a metal arm.

Bucky doesn’t even think twice before breaking through the bindings with ease and getting to his feet. His legs are not as sure as he would like, but that doesn’t stop him from heading straight for the door. 

The phone call taking place on the other side has gotten more heated, the voice -- the one that yelled at him earlier when he puked on their shoes -- getting louder as Bucky listens in, waiting for his window to make a run for it.

“You think I give a flying fuck?!… No, you get your ass here in the next two hours or the deals off… Don’t make me wait, you’ll regret it.”

The second the words die down Bucky realizes the phone call has ended and the owner of that voice is heading straight for him. Knowing he’s in no shape for a fight, the soldier’s steels himself nonetheless, ready to take on whoever comes his way.

The screaming protest of rusty hinges is the only warning he gets as the door is pushed open. Bucky strikes instantly, bringing the heel of his hand up to strike the entrant square in the nose and distantly enjoys the satisfying crunch he hears on impact.

“Son of a bitch!” the guy roars, crumpling to cover his nose with both hands.

Bucky doesn’t hesitate to take advantage of their current state and goes for another blow but finds himself thwarted as his opponent unexpectedly lunges for him and lands a blow straight to his gut.

His breath leaving him in a wheeze, the soldier’s battered body is stunned and he tumbles to the ground as the impact radiates through his core. Gasping, trying to get his breath, Bucky doesn’t even have time to take in his attacker’s face before a boot connects with his side.

Crying out in pain as his ribs protest the impact, Bucky still has the presence of mind to roll to his side and use his metal arm to deflect the next kick.

“Fucking queer! You think I’m gonna let a goddamn pillow biter like you take me down?!”

“Where’s the baby?!”

Before Bucky can get an answer or even get a look at his opponent, suddenly a damp white cloth is being pressed into his nose and mouth.* He tries valiantly to push it away to no avail. As his breathing slows, his eyes grow heavy and the room slowly fades away.

.o0o. 

“This is so fucking stupid. I can’t believe you.”

“I just…”

“Just what, huh? What?! We both know you don’t have the stones to do what it takes.”

“I just… want what’s mine, what Parker took from me. I don’t want anyone to get hurt.”

“Parker owes the both of us for what he’s done, but it’s a little late to worry about somebody getting hurt, don’t you think?”

The seesawing, two-person dispute had brought Bucky back to a hazy state of wakefulness but the mention of Peter’s name had cleared the remaining fog instantly, awakening a fire in his belly. Nausea had returned full force and, combined with the fury provoked by his boyfriend’s name, it is all the soldier can do to keep from emptying his stomach again. But he doesn’t have time for that right now, he has to keep feigning unconsciousness to hear what else they have to say.

“I didn’t… That wasn’t what I wanted to happen. I wish he hadn’t…”

“Ha! It’s a little late for wishing now.”

As Bucky listens, he gets more confused by the pair of voices he hears. One is angry and hardened, the other timid and frightened, but something doesn’t add up. They seem to be echoes of the same timbre, like twins -- one angry, one afraid -- arguing back and forth.

From where he sits, the same chair as before, the soldier dares to carefully slit his eyes open ever so slightly to take a peek at what’s happening and what he sees shocks him.

The kid from before -- the unknown boy with the completely unassuming appearance, the almost generic looking white kid with mousy brown hair and dime-a-dozen blue eyes that looks just like a million other teenagers running around the city -- is the only other person present and he seems to be having some kind of episode. He’s fighting with _himself_. 

Bucky can just make out the boy’s face whipping back and forth as he fights both sides of the argument, his face morphing each time he transitioned as though he were shifting to a different person and back again with every tilt of his head.

But before the soldier can begin to make heads or tails of what this means a phone rings in the kid’s pocket.

“Yeah… About time… I’ll meet you outside in five.”

And with that, he hangs up the phone and storms out of the room.

The desire Bucky feels to make a break for it is as fast as he can now that he’s alone gets tamped down. He may only have one shot at this, he needs to make it count, so he calms himself enough to assess his current condition.

Now that he brings his focus to his own body, the soldier notices a dull, aching heaviness along the left side of his chest. When he looks down to investigate the sensation, he is stunned by what he sees. The joint of his artificial arm to the flesh of his shoulder is a bloodied, mangled mess. When he tries to move the limb, he finds that his prosthetic has been internally disconnected. The plates where metal meets flesh have been forcibly separated, bare wires and circuitry can be seen protruding from the opening. The extremity is just a limp, useless piece of metal hanging off of him now.

In shock, Bucky tries to reach up to touch it only to discover that he’s been bound once again. This time duct tape is securing him to the chair at his shins and around his torso and right arm.

The soldier internally growls to himself. He doesn’t have time for this shit.

Looking around desperately for some way to remove the tape, Bucky can see only one way to do it.

The Sergeant has just enough range of motion in the bindings to maneuver around until his right hand is able to reach the separation in the plates of his prosthetic, right against the line where flesh ends. Sliding his bare fingers inside, Bucky grits his teeth as hard as he can when he’s forced to graze the digits against exposed nerves in pursuit of what he seeks. He can feel the skin of his fingertips shredding as he digs in further, but he has almost freed the shard of loose steel that he’s after.

Biting back a scream as the shard breaks free and slashes against the already open wound, he breathes through it. He finally has what he needs.

Using the sharp fragment, Bucky struggles to slice through the duct tape, his bleeding fingers making it hard to keep a grip on his makeshift knife, but eventually he succeeds and bolts out of the chair, heading straight for the door.

Legs feeling like lead and having no idea where he’s going, the soldier all but stumbles down a nondescript, door-less corridor frantically searching for any sign of the little girl who’s care he was entrusted with, the helpless child that’s depending on him to save her. 

Finally he spots a closed door ahead on the left and hopes to find something there. Tumbling into it, Bucky pushes it wide. It opens to some kind of guard station, abandoned like the rest of what he’s seen of this place. But across the room, the soldier spots a telephone. If it’s still working, this could be his saving grace… 

Lurching over and picking up the handset, Bucky nearly cries in relief when he hears a dial tone and, with shaking hands, punches in the only number he knows by heart and hopes to god he gets an answer.

“Rogers.”

“Steve…”

“Buck? What’s wrong? You sound-”

Bucky's concussion is getting worse, he can’t answer questions, he has to get the words out. He just hopes that they make sense, that Steve understands. “No time. Call Tony. Trace this number. Morgan’s gone. Send backup.”

“Tony? Tony who? Who’s Morgan? Bucky, you’re not making sense.”

“Stark, dammit!”

“You want me to call Tony Stark and ask him to trace this number…?”

Goddamn it, why does his best friend want to play twenty questions right now? He has to make him understand. “Stopblock, Steve.”

The stunned silence on the other end of the line lets Bucky know that his use of their codeword has finally communicated the seriousness of the situation to the blond.

Years ago, the first time one of their missions went south and they almost died, they worked out the secret message as a way for one to covertly convey to the other that they might not come out alive. A stopblock is what you find where the train tracks stop, at the end of the line.

“Bucky…”

“No time, Steve. Call Tony. Morgan… Peter… Just…”

“What, Buck?”

“Tell them… I love them.” And with that, he hangs up.

It’s good that he called Steve, his best friend will help. But Bucky’s wasted valuable time. He has to keep looking for Morgan.

Returning to the corridor, the soldier stumbles further into the bowels of the abandoned plant hoping for some trace of her.

He knows he’s running out of time, but he has to keep looking.

Wandering aimlessly through the massive structure, passing empty room after empty room, Bucky doesn’t see another soul and realizes that the kid is the only person holding him.

The soldier doesn’t know how much time he’s spent looking around when he finally comes upon another door, this one locked like none of the others have been. 

Not even bothering to try to be quiet, he gathers what strength he has left and slams into it. Once, twice - on the third time the plywood gives and he tumbles inside.

Roughly getting to his feet, the sight that greets Bucky is horrifying. 

The darkened room seems to be a makeshift lab -- various chemical and beakers and Bunsen burners are strewn all around -- and it's draped with pieces of plastic sheeting all over, there’s a metal table in the centre of the room. A woman’s dead body is laid out across it, covered in plastic.

Bucky wants to do something, help this poor woman in some way, but before Bucky can even react, hands slam into his back, pushing him into the edge of the table.

Whipping around, the soldier is met with a fist flying towards his face. He dives to the left, avoiding the blow and is able to throw his own right hook and catch the kid on the chin, knocking him off balance.

Running on pure adrenaline now, without hesitation, Bucky continues his onslaught and spins around, landing an elbow straight to the boy’s solar plexus leaving him doubled over and winded. Capitalizing on his momentum, the soldier then gathers his limited strength to bring both fists together and lands another blow to the back of the kid’s head, attempting to knock him out.

Too frantic with worry to stand around and find out if the blow was successful, Bucky immediately turns and makes a break for the door, desperate to resume the search for Morgan. However, he only makes it about two steps before the boy reaches out and grabs his ankle, tripping him and bringing him to the ground. 

The sudden change in equilibrium leaves the soldier’s head reeling, vision blurring once more. 

Fighting the urge to be sick again, prostrate on the ground, Bucky doesn’t know if he can move, he’s completely dazed.

Winded and looming over him, the kid looks furious, the angry personality has clearly taken over. “You could’ve made this so easy, you fairy. I tried to flirt with you in the street, tried to throw a little easy action your way - fag it up to get what I wanted. All you had to do was take it and none of this would have happened. This is all your fault! All I needed was a fucking keycard!” he spits as he punts Bucky in the side.

Crying out as more pain radiates through him, his already dwindled strength begins to fade and the soldier doesn’t know how much longer he can hold on. Vaguely, he wonders if this is how it ends. But then thinks of little Morgan, of her smile, of her sharp brown eyes, of the way she calls him ‘Key,’ and forces himself to push off the ground, trying to struggle to his feet.

His shaking arms give out underneath him.

“Yeah, you little pussy. That’s right. Stay-” The sound of pounding feet heading their way stops the kid’s diatribe.

“Mother fucker,” he hisses. Darting to the other side of the room, the boy riffles through an open drawer, frantically searching for something.

The soldier uses his distraction and manages to finally struggle to his feet only for the kid to grab him from behind and press a knife to his neck.

A hulking, shadowed figure suddenly fills the doorframe, gun drawn.

Bucky can feel the boy press the knife harder into his throat. “Don’t-”

A single shot rings out and the kid drops. 

The soldier’s whole body feels heavy, his eyelids fight to stay open, his legs feel like they can no longer support him. He tries to fight it but, as a familiar head of blond hair steps closer, he lets go. It’s finally safe to let the blackness overtake him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Chloroform on a rag knocking someone out is a total myth, I’m well aware of this fact. However, the trope worked perfectly in the moment I needed it for, so I used it. Hope you can forgive a little science fiction instead of fact for storytelling purposes. ;)
> 
> It was never my intention to have an almost month long gap between updates, I apologize for the wait. This chapter has caused me to question my abilities as a writer on a very real level, in a way that did not expect. See, I’ve known how this chapter would go, what would happen, since before I even started the story, but something about getting what I could see in my mind out on the page… proved more challenging than I ever anticipated. It made me wonder if I had somehow written myself into a corner that I was not skilled enough to write myself out of. But eventually, after writing the complete chapter and then discarding it multiple times, I feel like the right words finally came to me.
> 
> I won’t pretend that I’m not insecure about this chapter. That I didn’t wonder if perhaps I’m only meant to write simpler things, basic fluff and smut, but I decided to push that aside and proudly post what I had spent hours and hours creating.
> 
> I would genuinely appreciate feedback from all of you, good or bad - so long as it is delivered politely. Please let me know what you think, it only helps me get better as a writer.
> 
> Sorry for the cliffhanger after not posting for so long and that this chapter left more questions than answers. All will be revealed in Chapter 21. I am going to try my best to get the next chapter out in a few days, however, there is winter weather in my area and we are experiencing rolling blackouts, so I can’t make any promises.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this, as always kudos and comments are greatly appreciated. Thanks!
> 
> TW:  
> Bucky is drugged and held in a meat packing plant by an 18-19 yo young man experiencing some kind of mental breakdown, exhibiting two different personalities and both have it out for Peter.
> 
> Bucky finally breaks free and searches all over for Morgan. He is able to stop and call Steve for help, but doesn’t find the baby anywhere. Instead he finds a room with a woman's dead body.
> 
> As he and the boy holding him hear footsteps approaching, the kid holds a knife to Bucky’s neck as Steve shows up. His best friend shoots the kids and Bucky loses consciousness.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dialogue HEAVY. Talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk. But questions will finally be answered!
> 
> TW:  
> Talk of drug use and abuse, sex trafficking, and death. Nothing graphic, but pretty depressing.

Beep… beep… beep… beep… beep…

Cocooned in a warm if slightly uncomfortable bed, Bucky had been entranced in a deep, blissful sleep, lost in a delightfully dreamless abyss that he doesn’t want to be pulled from and he tries valiantly to keep himself under the waves of peaceful slumber despite the nearby noise threatening to wake him.

Beep… beep… beep… beep… beep…

The grating sound doesn’t stop and Bucky is forced to concede defeat, letting himself begin to float back to the surface of consciousness. 

It’s a slow and surprisingly unpleasant process. 

As the soldier stirs, he feels deep aches and pains across his whole body awaken with him. It’s like his entire person is bruised and sore. There’s a deep ache on his left side, a pinching in his ribs every time he inhales, he can feel the befuddlement of pain medication flowing through him, and there is an uncomfortable, persistent pressure pushing against the underside of his nose.

Bringing his hand up to try and remove the nasal annoyance, Bucky’s movement is halted by a large, warm weight on his forearm.

“Hey there, Buck. Are you finally with me?”

Struggling to open his eyes, it takes a few tries before the Sergeant can finally pry his lashes apart.

Blinking up at the blurred, blond figure beside him, he croaks, “Steve?”

“Hey, pal. Welcome back.”

“What happened?” Bucky is disoriented and has no idea how he got here. Or where here is.

Steve smiles but deflects the brunet’s question. “Let me go get the doc and have her come check you out, okay?”

His best friend steps away and returns with a sleekly dressed Asian woman in a crisp white lab coat.

“Hello, Mr. Barnes, I’m Dr. Helen Cho.”

“Bucky,” the soldier instructs in a scratchy rasp. 

“Bucky then. It’s nice to see you awake. If you don’t mind, I’d like to check your progress,” the doctor says as she picks up the soldier’s chart and looks over the readouts on the various machines. 

While foggy and totally unsure of what landed him in a doctor’s care, he’s still too out of it to ask any questions or do anything more than lay there and try to keep his eyes open.

Just then a nurse steps in to change out his IV bag and, as she leans over to check the cannula in the back of his hand, Bucky catches a glimpse of the gold necklace she’s wearing; the pendant is a tiny fairy.

Gasping, everything floods back to him.

_You could’ve made this so easy, you fairy…_ The words echoed through his mind, the distorted young face spitting them at him, the dead body on the table, a knife to his neck, the single shot… 

His current state immediately forgotten, Bucky surges to his feet oddly off balance, pushing the nurse aside and knocking the IV pole to ground as tube and wires are ripped away from him.

“Morgan!” he cries.

The three other people in the room scramble to try and stop him but he doesn’t care.

“Sergeant Barnes!” the nurse calls.

At the same Dr. Cho authoritatively steps in front of him and firmly intones, “Bucky, please stop this. You’re in no condition-”

He shoves her aside without thought, adrenaline surging through him. He’s got to get to Morgan. It’s his duty to find her.

Steve finally bodily blocks his path. “Hey, easy pal!” he commands. “Come on, get back in the bed, you’re gonna hurt yourself!”

He tries to fight him off and get to the door anyway but the blond is bigger, stronger, and healthier than him, so when his best friend restrains him in bear hug and won’t let him go any further, Bucky starts thrashing and screaming.

“Let me go! Let _go_! I have to find her! It’s my fault she’s gone! Steve, _let go of me_!”

By this point, Steve’s arms around him are the only thing holding Bucky up but he doesn’t care, he keeps flailing as hard as he can trying to break free until suddenly another set of hands are on him. A gentler, more familiar set of hands.

“Bucky,” Peter urgently says. “Baby, stop. It’s okay. _Stop_. Please. She’s all right - Morgan’s safe.”

The soldier freezes instantly, eyes flying to his boyfriend, daring to hope that he heard him right. “Pete,” his voice cracks. “She’s okay…?”

“Yes, honey, she is.”

Slumping into Steve’s hold, Bucky goes limp as the blond man handles him back into the bed while Dr. Cho and her nurse reattach the various paraphernalia that had been dislodged. Peter stays right with him the whole time.

The adrenaline of the last few moments may have faded but that has done nothing to calm the soldier’s agitated mind. “But she was…” he babbles to Peter. “There was a guy and he -- in the street -- and then I woke up and… she was-”

The younger man firmly grabs Bucky’s face in both his hands and looks him squarely in the eye, “She is safe, Bucky. I promise you.”

No matter how badly he wants to believe the words, the soldier still isn’t convinced.

Peter must sense his hesitation because his boyfriend reaches into his pocket and grabs his phone, holding it up to Bucky. “Look. You can see for yourself.”

There on the screen is the feed from Morgan’s baby monitor, showing the little girl peacefully sleeping in her own crib, curled up with the stuffed cat Bucky got her for her birthday.

“She’s at home with Happy and Carol right now. She’s okay, baby, you don’t have to worry anymore.”

Staring at the image on Peter’s phone, the soldier feels a relief like he’s never known wash over him and, for the first time in years, Bucky cries. He sobs. Hot, wet tears flow freely down his face and he doesn’t even try to stop them. Morgan is safe.

Peter leans in, touching his forehead to Bucky’s, gently holding his face and just letting him cry.

Dr. Cho and her nurse wordlessly step out to give them a moment of privacy but Steve stays, crossing the room to lean against the wall and quietly observe the scene before him.

Bucky isn’t sure that words exist for how good it feels to see Peter, to touch him and make sure he’s all right. The soldier just can’t help it, he needs to look at that face again, just to make sure this isn’t all some kind of dream.

He pulls back and goes to cup the other man’s face only to stop dead in his tracks. Something isn’t right.

Looking down, Bucky sees that in the place where his left arm should be, there is nothing but a void. In the adrenaline-fueled fervor of the last few minutes, he somehow missed that his prosthetic is gone. All that remains along his port side is the mechanical base that’s permanently attached to his skeletal structure.

“Buck,” Peter says gently. He waits for the soldier to meet his gaze, his face sympathetic but holding no trace of pity or revulsion. “The doctors had to remove it. They said it was damaged beyond repair and, if they left it, it was going to cause a lot of pain when you woke up.”

His boyfriend lets him sit with that information for a long moment, not pressing him to talk, just letting him process.

Bucky doesn’t consider himself a vein man, but he is finding it is harder for him to wrap his mind around losing his prosthetic than he thought it would be. The arm was one of a kind, the byproduct of a top secret research project that has since been shut down. There’s no way to replace it.

Taking a deep breath, the soldier pushes those thoughts aside. Now isn’t the time. “Where’s Tony?” he asks instead.

“He’s with the FBI, trying to keep them at bay. I called him as soon as I found out you were awake. He should-”

“Speak of the devil and he shall appear,” the man in question says as he walks through the door.

Uncharacteristically subdued, the billionaire stops and just stands there for a minute like he’s savouring the sight before him. But Bucky doesn’t have the patience for whatever internal moment the other man is having right now. He needs to touch him, to feel him and know that he’s okay too. 

Reaching out his right arm, his voice breaks as he calls, “Tony.”

That seems to be all the billionaire needed to hear. He rushes over and captures Bucky's mouth in a chaste, gentle kiss that lingers on his lips, just reveling in being close again. No one comments on the fresh tears running down both men’s faces.

Some part of Bucky’s mind is aware that his best friend is still in the room, seeing everything that’s happening and hearing everything that’s being said and wants to wonder if that’s a good idea, but he just can’t bring himself to care. 

After the intimate moment between the three eventually passes and they break apart -- Tony and Peter staying as close as they can to Bucky’s side without actually being on the bed with him -- the two quietly explain that he’s in the private medical infirmary at the Tower since hospitals equal too many questions. Dr. Cho is a specialist on retainer with SI and was brought in to oversee Bucky’s care. When he was taken, he was only gone for less than twelve hours, and since being brought here, he’s been out for almost thirty-six. 

Steve had stayed by his side the whole time. Tony and Peter hadn’t been well enough to be with him yet, they’d only been cleared just this morning to see him. And beyond that, they don’t have much more information to share since the FBI had been less than forthcoming with details. 

  
  


Before Bucky can ask any more questions about what happened, Dr. Cho and her nurse return to give him a thorough looking over. He dehydrated, has a grade three concussion, severely bruised ribs on both sides, multiple lacerations and abrasions to his scalp, and of course, the trauma associated with having his prosthetic removed the way it was, but all-in-all, he’ll admit that he’s had worse.

As the doctor makes her exit, assuring Bucky that he’s doing as well as can be expected, Agents Coulson and Hill make their entrance, each with a file folder in hand.

“Jesus Christ,” Tony scoffs. “I thought we agreed to hold off on this.”

“We’ve held off as long as we can, Mr. Stark,” Coulson says with his trademark professional-yet-detachment friendliness. “We respected you and your husband’s health, gave you time to get over the flu, and left Sergeant Barnes alone to rest, but new information has come to light that I think you’ll want to hear it.”

At this point, Steve finally speaks up and says, “Should I step outside?” He directs the questions to Tony.

“No need, Cap. I think you’ve earned answers as much as the rest of us.”

Resuming his spot against the wall, everyone turns their full attention to the agents, ready to hear what they have to say.

“Right,” Coulson begins, pulling a photograph from the file he holds. “Do you recognize this young man, Mr. Stark?”

Looking at the picture, Tony goes stock still. “That’s- Yes. This is… What does he have to do with all this? I haven’t seen this kid in over a decade. Why are you asking about him?”

“We were finally able to match the dentals of the suspect -- facial identification proved impossible due to the GSW to the face-” Coulson asides for Bucky’s benefit, “-to Social Services records from the state of Tennessee. The deceased has been identified as Harley Keener, age nineteen.”

Upon hearing that, Tony just stands there staring, a thousand different emotions crossing his face.

“Honey,” Peter says, placing a hand on his husband’s shoulder.

“I- He was- I knew him. A long time ago. I haven’t thought about him in years... 

“About a dozen years ago, when I was in a… downward spiral, I went on a bender and somehow ended up in the middle of nowhere Tennessee. I was totally wasted and wrapped my rental around a light pole in this tiny little town. I managed to buy my way out of jail, but the judge wouldn’t let me get off scot free, he gave me community service instead -- this Big Brothers kind of thing. Harley was my Little Brother. I was stuck there for three months because of it and I saw the kid damn near everyday while I was there. I had to have something to do and he was crazy smart, so we built this makeshift workshop in the back of his mom’s garage and he’d help me build whatever to keep my mind occupied and keep me away from the bottle. We, uh… we had fun and made all kinds of plans about him coming to work for me when he was all grown up, but then my community service was up and… I didn’t know how to say goodbye to him, so- I just bolted. Left in the middle of the night and never looked back.”

Tony’s face had saddened as he got lost in another time and place, but coming back to the present, he shook his head to clear it and looked to Coulson. “But what the hell does any of that have to do with Peter? Why was Harley Keener trying to kidnap my husband?”

“As I’m sure you know, Mr. Stark, Keener’s life wasn’t exactly a walk in the park before you came along, and it only went from bad to worse in the years after. His mother passed away when he was nine -- victim of a hit and run -- and with no other family, he was a ward of the state and spent the rest of his childhood jumping from foster home to foster home. Eventually, despite being a star student, when he was sixteen, he ran away from a particularly rough placing. It was several months before Social Services even noticed his absence, and between his age and the lack of resources, no one bothered to look for him. His trail went cold for a little while after that and when he eventually resurfaced, it was here in the city. 

“From what we’ve gathered, it seems he came here looking to reconnect with you, but when he realized that contact with Tony Stark was easier said than done, he tried to make a go of it and build his way up to getting your attention. He got a decent job at a pharmaceutical company, enrolled in City College, found himself a girlfriend. He was doing okay for a while until the girlfriend, Elizabeth Brant, got mixed up with the wrong crowd and developed a drug problem. It seems that’s when things started to go down hill and Keener became unstable.”

“That still doesn’t make sense…” Peter interjects. “What does his girlfriend getting coked out have to do with him coming after me?”

It’s Agent Hill that responds. “I’m afraid it’s more complicated than that, Mr. Parker. There was another individual involved. 

“When Ms. Brant’s problem started to spiral, it took her life and Harley’s down with it. Within a matter of months, she dropped out of school and her family washed their hands of her. Keener tried to help as best he could at first -- gave her money, tried to get her clean -- but she ended up in debt to the wrong people and they made her work it off the old fashioned way. She was essentially forced into sex trafficking. She got held in a house across the river with a bunch of other girls and no contact with the outside world, they kept them all strung out until it was time to put them to work. 

“When all that went down, that’s when Keener started to go off the rails. His grades slipped, he lost his job, and eventually he dropped out of school all together. But somewhere in all of that, he managed to make a visit to the on campus clinic and they discovered that he’d started exhibiting symptoms of schizophrenia. But he refused any help. That’s when this other individual came into play. A drug pusher that went by the street name of-” she paused to reference the file she held, “-Venom.”

Peter gasps. “Eddie…”

“Yes,” Hill confirms. “Eddie Brock.”

The younger man seems stunned at the name.

“Babe?” Tony prompts after a long moment. “You know this Brock guy?”

“Yeah, I do.” Peter looks around, clearly uncomfortable with the FBI’s presence in the room but continues anyway. “I knew him back when I, uh… worked with Nat. He was- I don’t even know how to describe him. Eddie was a regular -- preferred spending time with the boys over the girls -- but on the DL. He was totally Mr. I’m-Straight-And-I’ll-Beat-The-Shit-Out-of-Anyone-That-Says-Any-Different, but he had a thing for me and liked to be… rough. It wasn’t anything I couldn’t handle, but he didn’t like it rough for some kind of release, he was just angry. I could tell that he had a mean, vicious streak.

“Eddie was in ‘the biz,’ too. He always bragged about having girls working all over New Jersey, said he ran a tight ship and they were top of the line, high class tail. He wanted to get into bed with Nat, join forces, like a merger kind of thing - they got pretty far into negotiations too. But there was a strict no drug policy at the club and I knew he kept some of his girls doped up because he liked to run his mouth. I told Nat and she cut off talks immediately. Eddie got _pissed_ and, the next time came to see me, tried to get physical and Nat had him banned. After that, she blacklisted him and he couldn’t go _anywhere_ anymore. No one would touch him. He blamed me, said that my big mouth cost him a lot of money and one day he was going to make me pay for it. But that was almost three years ago and I haven’t heard a word about him since.”

Tony’s face had grown murderous as Peter kept talking. “What’s being done about this?” he demands of the agents.

“Nothing will need to be done, Mr. Stark,” Coulson tells him. “Eddie Brock’s remains were found when the plant was searched. He’s been dead for about a year.”

A stunned silence follows those words, Agent Hill finally breaks it. “From what we’ve cobbled together, Brock got wind that Keener had experience with chemicals and started blackmailing the kid. He told him that if he cooked enough drugs then he could earn his girlfriends freedom. But what Keener didn’t know was that Brant died of an overdose just a few months after she fell in with Brock. He just kept telling the kid that the more he cooked, the closer he got to his girlfriend’s freedom. He never knew that she was dead.

“As they worked together, Keener ended up creating a whole new drug they named Venom because Brock was an arrogant SOB. They say it’s like Ecstasy meets Speed meets Meth on steroids. They used the girls Brock trafficked as guinea pigs, they’d tested it on them to see how strong it was. Turns out, it was pretty strong. Strong enough that, when Brock tried to test the formula himself, in a piece of poetic irony, he OD’d. Died instantly. 

“That’s when Keener really broke. When he found Brock’s body, he went into some kind of dissociative episode and his personality split. He was so desperate to get Brant back and he thought his only avenue was lost, so he became the thing he hated.

“Eyewitnesses say that, for months now, Keener has been working the streets as Brock, as Venom; selling product, cutting deals, being ruthless. That’s where you come in, Mr. Parker. Apparently Brock liked to talk while Keener worked, and he made his feelings about you very well known. In turn, Keener told his story about coming to the city to reconnect with Mr. Stark and how he’d learned that Peter had become your young apprentice, something he saw as stolen from him. 

“So far as we can tell, they never figured out the true nature of your relationship, but once Brock was dead, whatever happened in Keener’s mind fused their anger and he become obsessed with eliminating you, Mr. Parker, and ingratiating himself you, Mr. Stark. He obviously knew nothing about your daughter's existence since he dropped her at the nearest precinct that night when a baby didn’t fit into his plans. 

“It seems that he had gotten desperate and come up with a plan to just walk right into SI and claim his rightful place as Tony Stark’s protege. That’s why he approached you that night, Sergeant Barnes. He planned to use you to gain access to the executive floors.”

“My keycard,” Bucky remembers.

“So, wait,” Tony says. “You’re telling me that all of this, everything -- the emails, the stalking, the taunting, all of it -- was one fucked up kid out for revenge?”

“Afraid so, Mr. Stark,” Coulson says with a grim nod.

“How is that even possible…?”

“The boy had a dozen years to dream of what life would be like at Tony Stark’s side. When his mind broke, his intellect stayed. He had the know how and the determination. In a way, his obsession with you and Mr. Parker was the only that kept him going, that kept him from completely losing his own self to the projection of Brock.”

Bucky turns to Peter as the other men are talking and sees tears in his eyes. Taking his hand, he asks, “What is it, babe?”

The younger man sniffles, “It’s just so sad. I mean, I know that it’s not like what he did was okay -- god, he’s been terrorizing our lives for _months_ \-- but before it was easy to think of him as some kind of villain off in the distance, just a nameless, faceless bad guy. Now I know he was so young and so broken and I just…”

Tony steps over to embrace his husband, Bucky keeping hold of his hand as Dr. Cho reenters the room with a no nonsense look on her face. “Agent Hill, Agent Coulson, when I granted permission for you to speak with my patient, it was with the understanding to keep it brief. Sergeant Barnes needs his rest. I think we’re done for today.”

The agents reluctantly agree and head out with the promise to return the next day for more questions.

“How are you feeling, Bucky?” Dr. Cho asks once they’re gone.

“‘M all right.”

“Liar,” Steve snarks from across the room.

“Shut it, you.”

Smirking at their banter, Dr. Cho interjects, “Well, regardless of how you are feeling, you need to get some sleep, Sergeant.”

Bucky wants to protest, he wants to stay awake and ask all the questions he has about everything they just heard, he really does, but he can already feel his eyes beginning to pull shut.

He must have drifted off, because the next thing he knows, he feels lips press to his forehead twice in a row.

Forcing his eyes back open, Bucky sees Tony and Peter both hovering by his side.

“Sleep tight, soldier,” the billionaire smiles as the younger man wishes him sweet dreams. 

“Mmm,” Bucky hums, lids falling closed again. “I love you.”

The last thing he hears as he falls asleep is Peter’s gentle voice whisper, “I love you, too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OH MY GOD!!! I've been holding that in for months now!!! I finally spilled all the secrets I've been keeping! I feel so free!
> 
> But I'm dying to know what you all think. Tell me in the comments! Were you shocked, gagged, aghast? I must know!!!
> 
> As always, kudos and comments are greatly appreciated. Thanks!


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who had the jumbo-sized order of cotton candy? 'Cause it get FLUFFY ahead!
> 
> TW: Don't forget to brush and floss your teeth or you might get a cavity.

Bucky wakes up for the first time in a long time feeling like a human being. Sure, he’s still sore all over and his injuries haven’t magically healed overnight, but it’s the first time since he was taken that he hasn’t woken up in a drugged haze.

Looking around, he sees that a bundle of red balloons emblazoned with the word “Get Well Soon” now occupy the far corner of the room and smiles.

Steve is still there, slumped in an uncomfortable looking chair next to his bed, sound asleep. 

Bucky knew he would be. Even if Peter and Tony had tried to argue, his best friend would have insisted upon staying the night. And as much as the brunet loves both of the other men, he’s grateful. As brothers in arms, Steve and him have always seen each other through getting wounded. It’s what they do.

“Hey, punk,” Bucky calls, unceremoniously waking the blond. “Who’s responsible for those?” he asks, indicating the floating spheres of Mylar.

“Huh?” Steve startles. “Oh, Peg sent those. Said the roses in this country weren’t fit for a gift, so she settled for those instead.”

Struggling to adjust his position with only one arm, Bucky asks, “What time is it?”

Steve checks his watch, “About seven in the morning. You only slept _eighteen_ hours this time.”

“Shit. Was I really out that long?”

“Yeah. Tony and Peter stayed most of the day yesterday, but you slept through it. And a strawberry-blonde named Pepper stopped by. She was kind of intimidating. Those are from her,” Steve indicates a small, elegantly tasteful flower arrangement across the room that Bucky had missed. “But you slept through that too.”

Seeming to have nothing left to say the blond sits back in his chair and they lapse into silence.

Despite the banal tone of their conversation so far, Bucky can tell that the other man is teeming with questions. He doesn’t know what Steve has been told over the last few days, but he knows that his friend has seen enough to understand that there’s a lot more going on than meets the eye.

“What do you want to know?” Bucky finally asks. 

“I don’t even know where to… I got a lot of questions, Buck. But I guess what I really want to know is that you’re all right. That- that all of this -- whatever it is -- is on the up. Are you okay with it? Are you happy?”

Not for the first time, the Sergeant wishes he could just blurt everything out to his best friend. Instead he settles for what he can say and answers with the truth when he says, “I am. I am happy. It’s- We’re… I’m happy, Steve.”

The blond looks at him speculatively for a long moment. “Okay,” he eventually says.

And that’s that. He doesn’t ask anymore questions and the next hour passes in a blur of various medical staff coming in and out to check all the machines, take some blood, change his dressings, and all the other stuff they have to do.

Bucky is just finishing a bowl of oatmeal -- the food here being _much_ better than a regular hospital, even if it is relatively bland for the convalescing -- when Tony bursts through the door with an oversized stuffed snow tiger in his hands. 

“Oh, good, you’re up!” he says. “If you were still snoozing when I got here this time, I don’t think I’d have been able stop myself from tracking down a feather and some shaving cream.”

Peter enters right behind him, smiling at his husband ridiculous antics. “I’m glad you're up,” he says, leaning in to kiss the corner of Bucky’s mouth.

Steve stands and clears his throat, “I’m gonna head out. I’ve got a meeting with Fury in a couple of hours and I could use a shower before then.”

“Is that you I’ve been smelling?” Bucky jokingly sniffs the air. “I thought it was me, but you’re ripe, pal.”

“Ha ha. I’ll see you tonight, Buck.”

As Steve makes his exit, Tony leans in and suggestively whispers, “You know, if you play your cards right, I saw a sexy male nurse in the hallway -- I bet you could get a nice sponge bath…”

“Which one?” Peter pipes up. “‘Cause, I can be dirty. If Bucky doesn’t take him up on it, I will.”

“Remind me to tell Pepper to have the sexy nurse fired,” Tony deadpans back.

As the two men banter, Bucky just leans back and relaxes into the bed. Being around Peter and Tony, seeing them talk and laugh and joke is better than any medication the doctors have given him. 

But his moment of reverie is cut short when Tony’s phone starts buzzing. The older man steps into the hall to answer it and Bucky takes the chance to talk to his boyfriend without the billionaire’s presence.

“How’s he doing with all this, Pete?”

“You know Tony. So far, he’s kept so busy that I don’t think anything has sunk in, but I’m not naive enough to think this isn’t going to affect him. It’s not going to be easy when it does. Even though none of this is his fault, he’s still going to find a way to blame himself.”

“What about you? How are you holding up?”

“It hasn’t really sunk in for me either, really. Hearing Eddie’s name, knowing how much he hated me… It’s a lot to process. But enough about us, you’re the invalid here. How are you feeling?”

“Better. Not quite so tired. Doc said I’m doing good, no complications so far.”

“That’s good, but I meant how are _you_ doing?”

“Um… I don’t really know yet. On assignment, a lot of things have happened to me, bad things, but this… this was different. I’ve never been so scared in my whole life. When I thought he had Morgan, that I hadn’t protected her, I-”

Peter cuts him off, “Hey, no. Nothing that happened was your fault either.”

Bucky doesn’t respond. He’s not sure he agrees with that, it doesn’t feel like he did enough to stop it all from happening. But he’s spared having to admit it when Tony breezes back in.

“Good news, Buck. Just got off the phone with my arm guy. Looks like we can get you squared away as soon as next week.”

The soldier is stunned. “What?”

“You have an ‘arm guy?’” Peter drolls, rolling his eyes.

“Yep. Bruce. Dr. Bruce Banner. He’s an old friend of mine, really smart, and he works in cutting edge bionic prosthetics. Sounds like we’ll even be able to get you an upgrade on what you had before. Stronger, better mobility, and a full sensory experience across the whole thing.”

Bucky blinks dumbly, “Tony- I… don’t even know what to say…”

“Pssh, please,” the billionaire waves him off. “So what’d I miss? What were you two sexy beasts talking about in here?”

It’s Peter that responds. “Actually, we were talking about how everyone is coping,” he says.

“Oh. And how are you coping, Bucky?”

“Like I told Pete, I’m not even sure. I haven’t really let myself think about it all yet.”

There’s a silence that follows the soldier’s words as each man gets lost in their own thoughts until the youngest interrupts.

“I think we should all talk to Strange.”

“Dr. Strange, that’s the guy you and Tony have talked to, right?”

“Yes. He’s really good. He's no nonsense, a straight shooter that can be a little blunt, but he already knows about our situation and he has the necessary clearance. I think it would be really good for all of us.”

“Okay. I’m willing to do that if you are,” Bucky says, looking to Tony.

The billionaire seems to hold his breath while he considers it, but eventually he blows all the air out in a long sigh and says, “All right, I’ll do. You’re probably right, honey, it would be a good idea to talk to someone about all this. Especially, considering…” 

He just lets the words hang there and Bucky realizes that he’s missing something. “Considering what?” he asks.

Tony and Peter look at each other before the older man turns back to Bucky. “There’s something else we have to tell you, Buck.”

The soldier shifts in his bed. “I don’t like the sound of that…”

“It’s okay,” Peter is quick to assure him. “It’s just… Well, I might as well start at the beginning. When Keener shot that syringe into your neck-”

Bucky interrupts. “Wait, how did you know that he stuck me in the neck? Did the doctor tell you? Because I don’t remember saying that.”

The younger man shakes his head. “There was a camera in the alley nearby. There’s CCTV footage of what happened. You getting jabbed in the neck, him pulling a van up and dragging you into it, then trying to figure out what to do with Morgan.”

The Sergeant visibly tenses at the little girl's name but doesn’t say anything.

“Keener paced around for a long time -- from the footage, it looked like he was having an argument with himself -- trying to decide what to do about her, but like you know, he ended up dropping her at the nearest precinct. He pulled his hood down low and just walked in and set her on the floor and walked right back out. It was a busy station and no one noticed it happen. 

“The cops had no way to know who she was, but it was obvious that she was well cared for so they knew she had a home, a family that would be looking for her. And when all this was happening, a reporter for NY1 happened to be there for an interview and thought a story on helping a lost baby find her way home would be good for ratings, so they ran with it and plastered her face all over the news. That’s how we found her so quickly, but… when it was all said and done, there was no way to keep it quiet that she’s Tony’s daughter.”

Bucky just sits there, guilt churning in his belly. He cost Tony his biggest secret and, because of him, Morgan has been pushed into the public eye where she can no longer be just a normal little girl.

The shame burns deeply, but there’s something else he needs to know. “Did they find out about you, too?” he quietly asks Peter.

Tony answers for him, “No. Pepper caught things early enough to spin it away from Pete. We released a statement that Morgan was carried by a surrogate -- which is true -- but left out anything to do with my personal life. So far as the world is concerned, I’m a single father until we decide to tell them otherwise.”

Bucky nods slowly, unable to look either man in the eye. “I’m… so sorry. To both of you. You worked so hard to keep her safe and away from prying eyes and I just got that all shot to hell.”

The soldier is surprised when Tony grabs him by the chin and forces Bucky to meet his eyes. “You kept our daughter safe. We saw the tape, you did everything you could to protect her. I don’t accept your apologies because you have nothing to be sorry for.”

Capturing Tony’s wrist, Bucky holds the older man’s hand to his face, letting his eyes say everything he can't find the words to express. He can tell that Tony understands.

The billionaire is about to say something else when the moment is broken by Dr. Cho and her nurse bustling into the room to check the Sergeant’s progress again. The good doctor does a thorough once over before insisting that Bucky needs to get some rest and pointedly suggesting that he be given some privacy to do just that.

As the medical staff leave, declaring Bucky in good condition, the soldier sighs and looks to his paramores. “The doctor is right, you guys should go,” he tells them. “Get some work done or something. You don’t have to sit around here all day just because I have to.”

“We don’t want to leave you alone, Bucky,” Peter counters.

“It’s all right. I’ll probably end up sleeping most of the day anyway. Besides, Steve will be back later.” 

Ever the scholar of human behaviour, Peter doesn’t miss the change in Bucky’s demeanor when he mentions his best friend. 

A little crinkle forms between the younger man’s eyebrows. “What happened between you and Steve?” he asks.

“Nothing, nothing,” the soldier is quick to respond. “It’s not like that. It’s just… It’s hard because he and I have always told each other everything -- we’ve been best friends a long time -- and keeping things from him… It’s just hard.”

“Buck,” Tony pipes up. “Steve saved your life, he called me in the middle of the night to track you down and went in, guns blazing, to bring you back to us. Not to mention the fact that he stayed by your side from the moment you got here and never asked any questions about what was going on. I think the man’s earned some answers. And more than proven that he can be trusted. Tell him whatever you want to. We’ll work out an NDA later.”

Bucky looks to Peter to be sure they are all on the same page. When the younger man nods his approval, the soldier can’t help but feel a weight lifted from his shoulders.

“Thank you,” he says earnestly. “That's… thanks.”

Peter smiles at him. “We trust you, baby, and you trust Steve. That’s good enough.”

Tony, never one to let a moment linger, changes the subject. “Well, as much I’d rather stay here with you, Pepper is chomping at the bit trying to get me back to the office,” he admits. “So, I am going to head up and get some things taken care of.”

His husband nods, too. “If you’re okay, Buck, I think Happy could use a break. I’m going to go home and spend some time with my girl and let you get some rest.”

“All right, tell Morgan that ‘Key misses her.”

“I will," Peter promises, leaning in to peck Bucky on the lips. "I love you.”

The soldier’s heart skips a beat at the words. He knows he said them last night and Peter said them back, but something about the casual, offhanded way he says it now, like it’s the most obvious thing in the world, makes Bucky heart speed up so much that he’s glad the machines have been silenced.

“I love you too.”

Tony just stands by silently, not saying a word. 

Bucky sees what the other man is thinking and turns to him. “Hey, last night when I said ‘I love you,’ I meant both of you. You know that right?”

The billionaire shuffles a little on his feet, the tips of his ears taking on pink tinge. “Um…” he mumbles, looking at Peter.

His husband just smiles indulgently and says, “I told you so.”

Tony pointedly clears his throat. “I love you too,” he mutters before bending down to kiss Bucky softly.

The soldier leans into the kiss, deepening it a little, hoping to let actions speak as loud as words.

When Tony finally pulls away, the older man looks a little dazed and is breathing heavier. “Right then...” he huffs. “I’m going to go now.”

Peter laughs out loud as his husband almost floats out of the room.

“I’ll see you later, Buck. Good luck with Steve,” the younger man says, pecking the Sergeant’s forehead one more time before heading out.

Bucky sighs and leans back in the bed. More tired than he realized, he drifts off in a matter of minutes and when he wakes up, darkness has fallen outside. Steve is already back and seated by his side.

“Hey, buddy, when did you get here?” Bucky asks, sitting up.

The blond smiles, “Just a little while ago. My meeting ran long and I took Peggy to dinner when it was over.”

At Steve’s mention of dinner, Bucky’s stomach growls loudly. They both laugh as Bucky hits the call button and has his own dinner brought in. 

While he eats, they catch up on the mundane, Steve updates him on SHIELD, tells him how things are going with Peggy. It’s nice and easy, the way they’ve always been. And as Bucky listens to Steve talk about Peggy, sees the gleam he gets in his eyes at the mention of her name, he can’t help but wonder if, despite their rocky start, she might actually be the one for him. 

Once Bucky is done eating and his tray cleared, he leans back and looks to his best friend. “I think I owe you some answers to a lot of questions,” he says.

“Listen, Buck, you don’t have to tell me anything. I won’t act like I understand what’s going on, but it’s obvious you guys don’t want to talk about… whatever it is.”

“It’s okay. I talked to Tony and Peter, and we agreed that you deserve to know.”

And with that, he lays it all out on the table. The nature of the start of his relationship with Peter, meeting Morgan, his growing feelings for Tony, how Keener wove his way through all of that, he doesn’t hold anything back.

When it’s all said and done, Steve just sits there in a stunned silence. “Jesus Christ, Bucky,” he finally says. “I had no idea…”

“Nobody did. That was kind of the point.”

“Still. That’s a lot. For anyone.”

“It’s what you do for the people you love.”

“So, you love? Both of them?” 

“Them and Morgan. More than… I don’t even know how to explain it. But, yes, Steve. I love them all. Very much.”

Steve ponders that for a moment. “I, uh- I can’t pretend like I get it, Buck. ‘Cause I don’t, I don’t get it all.”

Bucky’s chest constricts a little as the other man goes quiet. The silence stretches until the Sergeant is sure that his best friend is about to say something that will permanently alter the course of their friendship.

“Do they love you?” the blond ultimately asks in a low voice.

“Yes.”

Blowing out a long sigh, Steve sits back in his chair. “Guess that’s all that matters, at the end of the day.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. So long as they love you and treat you right, that's all I really care about. Doesn’t matter if I understand it or not. 

“When you called me that night -- I don’t know if you remember -- but the last thing you said was to tell them you loved them. I didn’t know what you meant at the time, but you thought you were going to die and they were the last thing you thought of. Just like Peg would be the last thing I thought of. You all love each other and I can respect that.”

It’s Bucky’s turn to sigh. “Thanks, pal. That really means a lot.”

“You’d do the same for me.”

“Oh, you bet. You start sleeping with _two_ smoking hot women, I’ll be your biggest cheerleader.”

Steve laughs. “Remind me to bring that up to Peggy sometime.”

“Yeah, no. I don’t want to be within a ten block radius of you when you ask Peggy Carter for a threesome. You’d be lucky if you walked away with your junk intact.”

“You’re probably right. Plus, Peg is more than enough woman for me. We can’t all me studs like you.”

“And don’t you forget it.”

“Thanks for telling me, Buck,” Steve says.

Bucky smiles at him. For months, an unspoken distance has been building between them because of all the things that he couldn't tell the other man, but now that that distance is resolved Bucky feels like he finally has his best friend back. It’s nice to know that Steve is still in his corner and always will be.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter just came pouring out of my fingers, so enjoy the early update! I doubt I will have 23 ready by Friday, though, so don't hold your breath on a double update this week.
> 
> The story is winding down. There will only be 1 or 2 chapters left. I haven't decided yet. I'm sad to see it coming to a close, but so happy you've all come along on this ride with me. Hope you like how it ends!
> 
> As always, I LIVE for your comments. Let me know what you think. Thanks!


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